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The NY Green Fest 2011 is all about finding solutions to help the planet be greener. This is largely supported by the Green Party and those who are involved in the Green Party. The great part about this conference is it reaches all spectrums; there are serious workshops about sustainability as well as music on the Solar Stage.

There are some big names who are presenting at the conference. There’s Gary Abraham is an attorney who will be talking about why the answer for clean energy production will not be found in wind turbines. Barry Miller, a mechanical engineer, will be speaking on DIY solar and wind installations. Kent Mesplay, a presidential candidate for the Green Party for the 2012 elections, will also be speaking.

The topics for the conference include rekindling the anti-nuclear movement, the truth about wind energy, real food, low-cost solar DIY, and free energy solutions. For those who are interested in becoming more “green,” this is a great opportunity to learn more. There are many subjects, so you’re sure to find classes that meet with your interest in the green initiative. It’s all about what each of us can do on our own, which combined will make a difference in the world.

If you aren’t able to make it this year, consider going to the conference in New York next year. It’s a great opportunity to meet with like-minded individuals who truly believe that we are the guardians of this planet and we need to do all we can to protect it.

The public has become used to the political debate concerning the sanctity of marriage. Interracial marriage did not become legal throughout the United States until the Supreme Court ruled that anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional in 1967.

As of 2011, same-sex marriages in the U.S. could be performed in Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the Coquille nation. Maryland and New York recognize these unions and California does, conditionally.

Although much of society no longer even blinks an eye at interracial marriage as we see it everywhere from www.direct.tv to news and tv shows, many people continue to struggle with same-sex marriage. Because equal opportunity and social justice are integral to the Green Party’s key values, it does not stand against it.

Is a marriage between Locutus of Borg and the Borg Collective on the Horizon?

Since “all people are created equal” society needs to treat them as such. How about when a corporation becomes a person? This concept almost sounds like something the Borg collective, a cybernetic race/life form from the television series Star Trek, would plan with Locutus of Borg as the groom. In reality, this notion a collective marrying an individual will be tested when the marriage of a person and a corporation take place.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations have the same constitutional rights as people in their decision made on January 21, 2010, in the case of Citizens United versus the Federal Election Committee. To commemorate this decision, Sarah “echo” Steiner has begun the search for her perfect corporate mate. She plans to use this marriage to challenge the Supreme Court’s decision.

In a press release issued by Citizens United, some possible corporate grooms have already been identified, including a green corporation. Citizens United also announced that the bridesmaids will be Green Party members from Palm Beach County and Progressive Democrats of America’s Florida branch.

The Californian seacoast is the second largest in the nation at 840 miles not including freshwater shoreline, and a tidal coastline of 3,427 miles. Its coastline and freshwater sources make water a primary concern of California’s Green Party and a major tenet of its platform.

California Green Party’s 2010 Addendum

In 2010, the California Green Party published an addendum to its 2008 party platform.  Under the heading “Ecology and Earth Stewardship” the party issued a new principle concerning green science but the only portion of the 2010 platform it revised in this section was that of its proposition for water management and policy and water conservation and pollution.

Integral to propelling the Green Party’s policies on water conservation is the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). Its 2010 addendum to its platform includes, among other propositions, that it supports those policies necessary to implement the MLPA and end activities that damage its coastal waters such as dumping of sewage and other pollutants into the ocean.

Marine Life Protection Act

The MLPA, passed in 1999 as part of the California Fish and Game Code, requires the state to review all marine protection areas (MPAs) previously created and possibly design new MPAs that function together statewide.

The MPLA discovered that those MPAs already created were not functioning in a coordinated system. With more than 50 MPAs created randomly along the coast over the previous 50 years, there were no coherent, scientific guidelines followed in their implementation. The delicate ecosystems and flora and fauna which thrive in them were being threatened by coastal development and water pollution. By improving the MPA system, the conservation of these habitats may not only protect against their loss but also improve research opportunities and even re-grow decimated fisheries.

The Green Party grew from a desire to improve the world’s environment and conservation efforts. It became a political party when active members realized that that desire to make change could be better aided by having members become active participants in the political decisions that govern these efforts.

The U.S. Green Party has developed key values that exemplify its position on these and other political issues. Following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech on January 25, 2011, Green Party activists vocalized their disagreement with the Democrat’s approach to environmental issues in our society.

The Green Party agrees with the Democrats on one thing: the focus on the issue of jobs.  And we are not talking about all jobs like small businesses like JR Dunn or your local designer clothing store. This is more of  an environmental issue to discuss when job creation is viewed in light of the energy industry.

In President Obama’s speech, he indicated that he supports the continued use of non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels. The government continues to subsidize fossil fuel industries such as oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy and its derivatives. In the Green Party’s version of the New Deal, the government would deter fossil fuel corporations by repealing these subsidies. At the same time it would grow incentives for the research, development and manufacture of renewable energy sources, leading to the creation of jobs in these areas as well.

According to Cecile Lawrence, Ph.D., J.D., rapidly switching to renewable energy sources would lead to an equally fast increase in better paying jobs which would also improve not only the economy but also the physical well-being of the country’s population.

In the “Green New Deal,” public investment is the only way to create new jobs. By investing in alternative energy, expanding the use of public transportation and retrofitting the existing infrastructure to be more fuel efficient, millions of new jobs would be created.

Education has long been shown to be one of the supports of a successful society. It is frequently the educated who become the leaders of a society – although charisma and perseverance also play a healthy role.

However, education costs money.  And if students don’t have money for books, laptops, tuition, etc.; then they struggle to get an education. This often leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy: the Haves can pay for an education; therefore, the Haves get the education. The Have-Nots cannot pay, ergo they cannot get the education they need to get ahead.

Education and the Green Party

As a political party focused on social justice and equal opportunity, it is not surprising that education plays a key role in meeting the goals of its political platform. Two of the Party’s key values – equal opportunity and economic justice – depend on education for all. Because it is essential that communities can offer all people a living wage so that they can obtain an acceptable standard of living, it is necessary for communities to also make a decent education available to all people.

Fair is Worth Fighting For

To that end – making education accessible to all people, Andrew Dobson, professor of politics at Keele University in England, has included it in the Green Party Manifesto he penned, Fair is Worth Fighting For. The document is a pledge to abolish higher education student-tuition fees.

Fighting for Fair Leads to Increased Green  Party Membership in England

Following a tuition fee vote in the British Parliament in November 2010, student demonstrations against the rising costs of higher education in London were controlled by police “kettling” the protesters. The youth branch of the Green Party, the Young Greens, started a petition to ban kettling, a questionable crowd control technique used by police. The tuition quickly garnered more than 1,000 signatures. Within a month of the vote, the Young Greens membership grew by 25%.

If the Green Party existed in James Cameron’s fictional film Avatar, It would be comprised of the native inhabitants of Pandora. Not just the Na’vi, the human being like race but all of the dwellers – fauna and flora.

The Na’vi, like the Green Party, has very well-formed and progressive thoughts about environmentalism and conservationism. And, like the Na’vi, the Green Party takes a hard line on these issues, although not a violent one.

Pandora’s ecological system is similar to a human brain. It is comprised of a neural network which covers the planet that not only connects the plants of the planet but to which all the native creatures can connect. The Green Party’s platform on ecology has a similar (although much more realistic) take on nature.

Green Party’s View of Ecology

One of the Green Party’s basic tenets is that society must behave in such a way that recognizes the integral part it plays in nature, not just locally but on a global level. Society must take socially-responsible, self-sustainable actions now so that the planet’s natural resources will be able to replenish themselves.

How Pandora Achieves the Green Party’s Platform

Throughout Avatar the Na’vi are ineffectual in their battle against humans. The movie culminates in a battle between the humans mining unobtanium on the planet and the Na’vi fighting to protect the integrity of their planet. However, the Na’vi are unable to win until all of the planet’s dwellers join together.

Thus far, the US Green Party has been unable to fully garner the support of the other major US political parties in its fight to improve the environment. Although the US has taken baby steps towards improving the environment, it will take all of the nation’s dwellers to win this battle.

Like all political parties, the Green Party came from strongly held beliefs. However, the platform based on its approach to environmentalism and conservationism, didn’t foment into a US party represented by elected officials until 1985. As global concern for the planet and its resources has grown, so has the strength of this political party still in its (relative) infancy.

Although the party has seen limited success in garnering elected positions in the US, its central tenet has pushed the other political parties to at least compromise on many of these important issues.

The Green Party’s Take on Ecology

According to the Green Party’s platform, members believe that society must act with the knowledge that it is an integral part of nature. It is incumbent upon society that it functions within the limits of its ecological resources on a local and global level. The Green Party doesn’t see the planet as meeting our needs in just the here and now but believes society needs to be sustainable. That is, future generations will benefit from our actions now rather than suffer its consequences. Therefore, society must respect the integrity of the planet’s natural resources and consume its resources in a way that will move us toward an economy that is energy efficient and agriculture that replenishes the soil.

The US Green Party and the Kyoto Protocol

The US Green Party has had little effect on the US when it comes to supporting the Kyoto Protocol, the portion of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change geared toward combating global warming. Whereas the Green Party supports rapid reduction of greenhouse gases worldwide, higher energy efficiency standards and the conversion to renewable energy sources, both the Republican and Democratic parties oppose the treaty.

Going green can be described on a personal basis as simply doing whatever is in your power to help the environment. Most of us think that we can’t even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to cleaning up the air , water pollution or environment, but we can, by simply taking a few extra steps and learning how to help.

One of the biggest environmental pollution problems lies in our drinking water. Everyone can help cut down on pollutants entering the water. For instance, the next time you fertilize your garden, check the weather forecast first. If rain is called for, wait a day to fertilize so that the excess doesn’t wash into the waterways. Another small step is to pick up trash that you see, even if it’s just a small bit of paper or plastic, as these items can hurt water fowl. Being careful to properly dispose of used oil, paint or any other chemicals can help clean up the soil, so that when it does rain, the chemicals won’t wash into lakes, ponds, rivers and steams. Most water pollution comes from large factories and businesses, but if everyone does their part, we may be able to improve some of the bad water conditions.

Secondly is air pollution. This too, is normally caused by large businesses that are more focused on making money then they are the environment. The smoke that often bellows from these large plants can be carried for miles, causing the air to become dirty and very unhealthy. Conditions have gotten so bad in some areas, that state leaders have placed burning bans on land that is even privately owned.

Although it is a major problem, regular citizens can do their part in controlling environmental pollution. There are online courses through accredited online colleges which teaches how to use caution when disposing of chemicals, plant a tree, pick up a stray piece of trash and use organic products if at all possible.

Finding ways to receive medical care when you are not covered by a health insurance plan is almost impossible. No longer are the days when one doctor takes care of every health problem an entire family might come down with. Now there are specialists for each and every ache and pain, and general practitioners basically take care of you if you have a very miner condition such as a simple bad cold. If you are unfortunate enough to have a more serious condition, and you don’t possess some kind of health insurance policy, you may find that you are unable to receive any care at all.

These types of clinics can be very helpful unless you have a serious condition that needs immediate attention. The wait time to get an appointment to become an established patient can take months. Due to this, many uninsured patients are going to the emergency rooms of their local hospitals where they will end up paying many times more then what they would have spent if they were able to see a physician that could advise on and provide their care. Often time patients seeking help at emergency rooms are unable to pay the bill, even if they are given the option of making monthly payments.

The goals of the Green Party really are rather simple. The platform of the Green Party is based on making society better by making sure that everyone is taken care of and has equal opportunities. In general that means the Green Party puts people ahead of politics. They believe that people should have the chance to get quality healthcare, education, and basic civil rights.

The Green Party philosophy isn’t simply about giving handouts to everyone. Instead the idea is that American society benefits when the most people have the education, food, shelter, and medical care that they need. Children who are living in comfortable environments are more likely to be their best selves in school and the community if they have everything they need.

The Green Party platform doesn’t require anyone to ignore the reality that not everyone makes the best decisions, but the party’s platform does call for good treatment in prisons. The Party calls for education and work/life skills to be part of the prison culture.

Overall the politics of the Green Party supports non-violence, which is why the party is opposed to most war. The 10 Key Values, the guiding document of the Green Party, state that the party will “work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction” while still acknowledging that sometimes self-defense becomes necessary.

The idea behind the Green Party is that peace and love can be guiding forces in the world and that sharing the wealth of the entire nation not so that everyone has exactly equal possessions and assets but so that everyone has at least enough to cover their basic needs. The purpose of the bulk of the Green Party’s positions is to make the world happier and more satisfying for the largest number of people, rather than pitting people against each other to compete for resources.

The 10 Key Values are what defines most completely what the Green Party’s position in on a variety of issues. Within any specific issue, these values are the guiding force. The sixth of the key values is a belief in community-based economics. Unlike some of the other values, such as social justice and gender equality, community-based economics is not as intuitive. So, just what does it mean to have community-based economics?

Locally-Owned Businesses

Supporting locally-owned businesses through tax incentives or grants is a key idea to supporting community economics. Because more of the money from local shops goes to the local economy than is true for online or chain-store shopping, the Green Party platform calls for more support for local businesses, which will create better educational and civic opportunities for people within that community.

Industry Decisions

The Green Party wants to empower people in each community to determine whether or not they want a certain business in their area or not. Don’t want a landfill? That should be okay. Opposed to Wal-Mart? Again, that should be a decision made at a local level to create the most sustainable economic model for the community. Decisions should not be based on corporate needs.

Living Wage

The living wage is a concept that the Green Party has tried to introduce into society in many communities. A living wage is enough pay to afford to live in decent housing and to have food and clothing appropriate for the climate. The goal of community-based economics is to determine a local wage that is enough to support these basic economic needs.

These basic economic principles will support each community’s needs and help the people within that community to live better, more productive lives. The Kentucky Green Party’s goal is for communities across the Commonwealth to be able to implement these economic strategies.

The idea of a living wage is key to creating the society that the Green Party wishes to see. A living wage is enough money that someone who is working a full-time job – 40 hours in Kentucky – can afford decent housing that is properly heated and cooled, clothing, food, and other basic necessities. In most places, the living wage is
significantly higher than the legal minimum wage.

In Frankfort, Kentucky’s capital city, the legal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. According to Penn State University’s living wage calculator, the living wage for one adult is $7.29 per hour while that number increases to $14.49 for one adult and one child. That means that anyone with one child making less than $14.49 an hour won’t be able to afford basic care items without assistance.

The basic idea of living wage campaigns is to use these numbers to demonstrate to local and state leaders that the current minimum wage being required simply isn’t enough to allow families to support themselves.

One of the keys to the living wage project that make it a player in politics is that the living wage is based on working adults. The people who do not make a living wage are working, which makes them more sympathetic to folks who may oppose government “handouts” in other arenas. The living wage issue isn’t about welfare or having extra money to spend at an online casino; it’s about equality.

A University of California study of workers at the San Francisco Airport showed that turnover dropped by almost 70 percent when the administration there enacted a living wage because pay rates rose by an average of 22 percent. That meant that employees were less likely to leave, saving the airport significant money in hiring and training new employees. Overall the living wage concept is beneficial to communities, business owners, and workers.

A key political issue for the Kentucky Green Party, and Greens around the country, is to promote a sustainable lifestyle. In addition to using politics to get legislative changes, there are ways to benefit the environment by making good economic choices as well.

Choose Restaurants Wisely

When you are planning a night out, don’t just go to any old restaurant. Instead choose somewhere with good environmental practices. Avoid places that serve with mostly paper goods. Try to pick restaurants with as little waste as possible. By choosing these restaurants, you are using your money to share your political values.

Shop Locally

The benefit of local goods is that the items don’t travel across the country- or even across the ocean – to get to you. Instead they are made by someone in your community. By making a commitment to purchase items from these places, you are supporting local business owners and also reducing the environmental impact of your purchases.

Felled Wood Furnishings

Felled wood companies are cropping up in many areas. These companies use only wood that has already fallen, rather than cutting down new trees. Felled wood furniture is handmade and has as little environmental impact as possible for furniture.

Pass on the Plastic

Many items come in plastic or wood. While plastic may be cheaper, the cost to the environment is tremendous. Plastic is a synthetic material that will take an unknown amount of time to degrade in our landfills. Many plastic items, such as toys, can be used very long either, which means that you will need to replace these items more often. Opt for natural products made with quality fibers, wood, or even metal for a better environmental impact.

While you should continue to push your politicians to vote for climate change, you can speak with your personal financial choices in the meantime.

While there is much work to be done to keep people from going to prisons in the first place, just as much work is needed to keep people from prisons, there is political work that can be done on the inside of prisons as well. The Green Party works hard to speak for prisoners rights since it is rare that the rights of prisoners are at the fore of discussions in politics.

Education

Within prisons, it is vital to make sure that education is available. Everyone within the prison system should have the opportunity to improve his or her educational level to help with job prospects once outside jail. In addition to GED programs and college classes, prisons can make vocational skills available because these programs teach work skills that can be used immediately upon release.

Food

Food is another issue within the prison system. When prisoners rioted at Northpoint Training Center in central Kentucky in 2009, food was one of the primary issues. Both inmates and guards had complained about the quality of the food, claiming it had bugs in it frequently. People who are serving jail sentences still have the right to adequate and clean food and water.

Medical Care

Getting quality healthcare within the prison environment is an important but often overlooked issue. Prisoners should have access to basic care, and they should be given medications they need to control chronic conditions. Alabama and South Carolina remain as the two states that segregate prisoners living with HIV/AIDS from the general population, and that is just one of many medical-related prisoners rights issues that advocates have addressed in the past decade.

Working to make sure that prisoners have adequate care and access to things that will improve their lives is one way that politics can benefit society by investing in people who are struggling.

There is a growing problem in the country and it’s one that needs a major shakeup in the way that the government does things. It has to do with finance campaign reform. It’s a big deal these days, but if you aren’t sure of the problem, you might need to take a closer look.

The two candidates from the two biggest political parties are often spending millions and millions of dollars in order to fund their campaign to be president. While the smaller candidates are doing similar things, it rests on such a smaller scale that it makes sense to focus on the bigger candidates.

Therefore, when these presidential nominees look to get campaign money they look to businesses. A wonderful business like 21st Century Insurance might decline to help because of a conflict of interest, but another competitor might want to give money to the democratic nominee. So they donate a rather large check to the candidate in hopes that they win. This isn’t always the case, but if they do win, it’s where things get to be a little underhanded.

If the candidate wins and gets into office, they will be looking favorably at the businesses that got them into office. When reform comes down that might be good for the American people, but bad for the business of that company, the president might be inclined to think about the best interest of the business first.

The reason for this is because the president will want to get re-elected and doesn’t want to ruin their potential donation the second time around. This is why many people believe that this country needs some campaign parameters that says candidates can’t get money from places or people that can ultimately cause a conflict of interest once in office.

Party politics typically means pitting Republicans and Democrats against each other to talk about how to best fix American society within a narrow scope. The two major parties represent only the center in terms of political beliefs, and their arguments typically are over shades of grey. Such is the case with the healthcare reform now in litigation.

One of the central beliefs of the national Green Party is that universal healthcare, also called a single-payer system, is the best option. Universal healthcare means that the government acts as the insurer, negotiating with doctors and making payments and medical determinations in the way that insurance companies do now.

The Green Party belief is that society would benefit from overall lower healthcare costs, even if taxes increased to pay for this service. Though universal healthcare didn’t pass in the 2009 healthcare reform bill, there are other issues that the Greens support related to healthcare.

The Green Party supports the “Manhattan Project,” a series of HIV/AIDS-related ideas, including increased funding for research on HIV/AIDS and the care of people living with AIDS. The Manhattan Project also calls for needle-sharing programs and for low-cost medications to be made available.

The only place where the politics of the Green Party aligned enough with the major parties was in the belief that healthcare is a human right. The general belief of the Green Party is that all people should have access to proper healthcare, which means that there are no people turned away from coverage because of a pre-existing condition. The new healthcare reform law will require insurers to begin to accept patients with a variety of conditions that previously led to denied coverage.

The Green Party’s goals with regard to medical rights are to make society better by ensuring that healthcare benefits are equally accessible and affordable for everyone.

STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, industries tend to be well-respected, highly-paid fields of study. Despite new, mounting evidence that girls do, in fact, perform as well as or better than boys in math and science early in education, the trend remains that girls are far less likely to enter these fields, which means women are shutting themselves out of many high-paying jobs.
One of the goals of the Green Party is to advocate for gender equality, and a major concern right now is increasing the number of girls who are going into these highly-specialized fields.

Politicians can help this process along by offering grants for programs to encourage girls participation in these fields. Three faculty members at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia put on a summer camp in 2002 that worked with girls who wanted to go into math and science careers. Increase funding for these types of programs can be an excellent way of helping girls retain their self-confidence.

At a local level, politicians can call on members of the community to mentor girls who are strong in math and science fields. Despite an interest and talent in STEM fields, many girls simply don’t know any women in those fields. They have no one with whom to identify, and female engineers, accountants, and software developers can help solve that problem.

Local leaders also can encourage participation in local science fairs and other events. Some communities sponsor boxcar derbies, boat races, and other engineering-based competitions. They are an excellent way to promote innovation and creativity among community members, but adding a push for female entrants could give some girls just the push they need to enter the competition.

Gender equality means not just access, but sometimes encouragement, of girls into certain fields. Doing so can only benefit the community as a whole.

In the Green Party Platform one can find principles and tenets about the United States and its role as an international neighbor. Among these tenets is a simple, yet important one: “Pre-emptive invasion in prohibited by international law.”The invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq did not please Greens. Although it was unarguable that the then-dictator of Iraq, the infamous Saddam Hussein, was a tyrant who did not deserve to be in power, that same argument could have been made for dozens of rulers in the world at the time.Where the Green Party differentiates from others is that it specifically outlines the role of the United Nations, and how the United States should respect the UN’s role in international diplomacy.The Green Party is known for its preference of diplomacy over force. It recognizes that the United Nations is an institution of international law whose treaties the US is bound to uphold after signing. Many Americans aren’t aware that the Green Party has a very detailed platform outlining when, and in what circumstances the United States should become involved in international force. First and foremost, the platform says the United States “is obligated to render military assistance or service under U.N. command to enforce U.N. Security Council resolutions.” This means Despite the fact that Greens opt for peace over war any day, they see a military presence as sometimes inevitable in cases of genocide or other acts against humanity. One point the platform outlines in its Foreign Policy section. It states that the veto power currently held by the five permanent members on the UN Security Council should be repealed.This fits right in line with the overall Green value of grassroots government, because now the five most powerful nations can veto the resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly. This has happened time after time, and always has the same result: the powerful walk away unscathed and unaccountable for their actions.

Fighting homelessness is a problem at all levels of our society. There are no places without homeless people in them. Many of those people are termed “chronically homeless,” meaning that they have nowhere safe and inside to stay routinely. Others are homeless only for brief stints. Still others find places to sleep with friends or family, but they have no permanent residence.

Outside of legislative action, how can be who are committed, as the Green Party is, to eliminating homelessness help?

First volunteer your time. Homeless shelters, both emergency shelters and transitional living facilities, need people to do all sorts of work. There are staff volunteers who help residents but also there are people who take care of the shelters websites, fundraising, publicity, maintenance, personal improvement classes, and perform other services. Give of yourself to help your community.

Donate money and goods when you can. If you do not have the time to donate, you can give hats, gloves, and boots in the winter months. Donate some money each month or year to a shelter of your choice. Shelters often need donations of cleaning supplies, toiletry items, and clothing, so ask around to find out what your local shelter needs.

Vote often. Local measures on issues such as sleeping in public places and funding for shelters matter tremendously to you right where you are. On a larger scale, federal votes on aid for veterans and mental health insurance coverage matter in helping keep people from being homeless. Be sure that you find out what candidates positions are on these issues and that you hold them accountable for making the best choices once elected.

Green Party candidates work actively to help end homelessness, but Greens can coalition with people from other parties who share these goals. Homelessness is an issue that should break party lines.

21st Century Insurance is a leader in their field, but they aren’t the only insurance company around. While they may be the best, there are plenty of other companies out there to choose from and you know that. However, what if you weren’t allowed to know about the best companies, or even the other lesser companies? What if you were only always given two companies to choose from no matter how good or bad they were? You wouldn’t like to be limited, now would you?

In the political system, we have the unfortunate time of being given only two parties to choose from. The Green Party is often not one of those big parties. It’s a shame because the world needs the Green Party and other parties just like it, but try telling that to the boys in Washington.

The simple thing is that the more ideas there are in Washington, the more we can find the path to positive change. With only two parties working for change, we are really losing out on a lot of interesting and helpful ideas.

What the Green Party provides is a platform for the sharing of ideas that are a little off the beaten path. They believe that there shouldn’t be the acceptance of money from big corporations and they are against the idea of a government that doesn’t work tirelessly for the people. We all agree that they should be working hard for the American people, but the Green Party is the only party that seems to base their entire political system around it.

The Green Party gives the American people another option. Another option is what will keep the rest of the political system honest. Without honesty, we are going to be staring at the same old broken system we have had in place for years.

The Historical Rise and Fall of Third Parties
Third parties, whether in the United States or other nations where a two-party system dominates, only gain strength when one of the two major parties fails somehow. This failure could be due to a division, a lost identity, or a breakdown of leadership. Many times, upon seeing this weakness, the third party will make a strategic move to win the disenfranchised electorate over.

Experts say, however, that the danger of a third party is its short-lived nature in the spotlight: it makes a smashing debut on the grand stage in its first election, bringing refreshing ideas to a weary populace. By the next election, however, the two major parties have had time to regroup and focus their efforts directly on the people the third party had won over. In the past, this has involved the major parties tweaking their own platforms and agendas to “follow the pack.” The end result is that the third party fades away into the background, and the two major parties once again take the lead on the stage.

It should be noted, however, that although third parties do tend to rise and fall quickly, the mark they make on the major parties is almost always evident. Their principles become part of one, or both of the two dominating parties. Their slogans are echoed in the banter of politicians who claim the ideas as their own.

In many countries around the world, the norm is a plurality of political parties; groups are born and die on a regular cycle. The United States, however, has had two dominating parties for so long, it will take persistence, organization, grassroots efforts, and awareness for a third party to hold its own. It will also take the creation of a new identity among voters; just like faith, education and work comprise who people are, so, too does politics. Voters must be convinced that the political party they belong to is a part of who they are.

Alternative sources of energy are gaining more popularity. Many more of us are conscious about the importance of these renewable sources. Let’s take a look at some sources of renewable energy.

No matter if you are donating to your favorite charity, purchasing an elegant Scott Kay piece as a gift, or holding the elevator for a stranger, you are passionate about who you are. Making greener choices for a better planet starts with you.

Cleaner sources of renewable energy not only help improve the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil sources, they make good sense. Solar energy is a wonderful source of renewable heat. Our Sun puts out a massive amount of energy. Even the largest power plant on Earth cannot come close to it. The most common use of solar energy is to heat water for homes. Large solar panels affixed to a homeowner’s roof is not only a smart source of alternative energy, many times it offers a tax savings as well. Some homes utilize solar energy for much more than water heating. An Off-the-Grid dwelling is powered completely by alternative energy sources.

Wind turbines tend to be used more in a commercial setting. Many people feel that wind energy is a source with the brightest future. The power that wind energy would provide is estimated to exceed forty times the energy need. Another promising fact about using wind energy is that no dangerous greenhouse gases are emitted through their use. A typical greenhouse gas like methane depletes our ozone layer, affects global warming, and is highly combustible.

The natural power of water is undeniable. Given time, water can cut mountains into canyons. Hydro power uses the force of water to generate energy. Conventional hydroelectricity is the process of using a hydroelectric dam to harness the energy. Other methods, such as Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity gathers energy from running rivers or streams.

The Green Party is growing in size. If it wants to beat the two major parties in their game of Monkey in the Middle, it still has a bit of growing to do. One of the biggest challenges facing the Green Party is its own level of success. As it becomes larger, the major parties attempt to manipulate the Green Party’s mass to affect election outcomes in their own favor.

Take the Texas tussle to get the Green Party on the ballot. To break into the two party system, a party must pass a petition with over four thousand signatures. The Green Party mobilized a drive garnered twice the necessary forty thousand signatures necessary to allow their candidates to appear on the 2010 November ballot. This was a significant victory for the party—this year, there would be a viable third contender in the usual two-party race.

Yet in June 2010, the party found itself suddenly banned from the ballot it had worked so hard to attain. The state served the Green Party a restraining order as if it was a stalker ex-boyfriend. The reason? Republicans contributed funds to the petition drive.

The Democratic Party uncovered that one of the petition drive’s biggest contributors was an out-of-state corporation with ties to the current Republican administration. This was considered an ethical violation because the Republican Party was hardly contributing altruistically—- they intended to use the Green candidates to siphon votes from the Democratic challengers.

The state supreme court overturned the restraining order. This decision was based partly on the grounds that once access to the ballot had been granted it should not be unduly rescinded. Henceforth the Green Party campaign bore a slightly darker cast for their involvement in the whole affair.

This debacle made one thing clear—now that the Green Party carries more weight, the two major parties are both looking to brandish it like a mace. Until the Green Party reaches the critical mass it needs to throw the two-party system out of balance, it must be vigilant to avoid being the pawn of other parties.

Finding a good attorney is harder than it looks. Every day you encounter situations and instances where you need to use your better judgment and hope that everything works out. There are days when things go wrong and it doesn’t work out the way that it is supposed to. When these situations arise, you need a solid lawyer to help you out, but where do you find one and how do you know that they are any good? Here are some simple tips to help you get the legal help you need.

When you get into trouble your best place to start looking is online. Go to Canada 411 and search for a competent lawyer who knows what they are doing. In their listings, they should say what kind of law they practice. While the more well rounded they might seem, you might want to actually stay away from those lawyers unless you are interested in putting them on a retainer.

If you have a specific problem then you will want a lawyer with a strong knowledge of what you are going through. Don’t look to someone who only has a passing interest in your kind of case. The other thing you can do is ask a lawyer about their experience in that field. Many lawyers should be able to give you their record when it comes to a certain kind of case. If they can’t or they haven’t tried anything then you should seriously consider going with another attorney. It’s too important for you to not have the best help possible.

Don’t be afraid to look around. You don’t have to go with the first person you see. Unless the case is about to go to court, then you don’t have to rush. Get good legal help, not just fast legal help.

Existing outside of the two major parties means combating a lot of bias in the media and educating the public on what one’s positions truly are. The Green Party, like the Libertarians, the Socialists, and others, find themselves in this position often. Here are some of the most common myths about the Green Party and its members.

Myth: They’re all hippie tree huggers without jobs.

Truth: Okay, they’re mostly tree huggers. Green Party activists do love the environment, and they want the government to take steps to protect it. Green Party members often are non-conventional and work in creative jobs, but there are plenty of members who work good, old-fashioned 9-5 jobs, too.

Myth: They want the government to run our lives.

Truth: The Green Party’s platform calls for gender equality, civil rights, compassionate economics, and environmental sustainability. When these issues are in jeopardy, then the Green Party supports legislation that will propel the issue forward. Examples include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made many forms of race-based discrimination illegal, and healthcare reform (in the form of a single payer system), which would give everyone access to quality healthcare.

Myth: Their ideas would make people lazy.

Truth: There’s nothing to support this claim, but it gets bandied about often. The idea behind is that public assistance encourages people not to work. The truth is that public assistance is a lifeline for people who cannot support themselves.

Providing financial assistance as well as life skills training, which would require a greater investment in social services, could be a long-term benefit to struggling families.

These myths are simply three of the most pervasive about the Green Party and its
members. The policies that the Green Party promotes aren’t intended to harm citizens. Instead they’re intended to help provide everyone with the best possible chance to succeed.

Kentucky is known in animal rights circles to be a terrible place to be an animal. Instead of laws making animal cruelty a felony, Kentucky still has legal cockfighting. (Despite the introduction of a bill to ban the practice promised for the 2011 legislative session, there seems to be little hope of this fact changing soon.) Kentucky’s record on animal abuse is dire, but there are some legislative changes that you can push that help support the Green Party’s platform on humane treatment.

Frankfort, Kentucky’s capital city, recently passed a partial ban on tethering animals. Though this ban is controversial and probably will be amended eventually, the ban moves in the direction of making animal cruelty a punishable offense. Encouraging this type of ban in other places throughout Kentucky would help make huge strides in making Kentucky more animal-friendly.

Volunteering at local animal shelters and pushing for local governments to increase support of these shelters is another way that you can help Kentucky’s animals. Local governments give money to nonprofits in the community based on a perceived need and support for the charities. These charities tend to be non-controversial ones, and animal shelters are an excellent choice for local government leaders to provide some assistance.

Quality animal control units are the best option that animal activists have in getting local government leaders on board. Animal control unit members should be qualified, well-trained individuals who are passionate about animal welfare. These people should be able to work with animals to keep them from harm while getting them out of dangerous situations.

Fighting for proper funding for animal control is one of the best ways local activists can push leaders to make changes that are in line with the Ten Key Values of the Green Party. Animal rights are important in a just society.

In 1966, the United States Supreme Court determined that when a person is arrested and charged with a crime, he or she must be read the “Miranda Rights.” Those are the now-familiar string of sentences, beginning with “You have the right to remain silent.” Further down the line goes something like this: “You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you.”

The attorney who is provided to an indigent criminal is known as a public defender. But America’s public defender offices are in crisis. The attorneys representing the accused are, in many states, overworked and underpaid. Some public defenders have reported taking on hundreds of cases at a time. Now, some public defenders are even closing their doors to new cases while they catch up on current ones.

The end result? Justice is delayed, if it arrives at all. It is delayed for the alleged criminal, obviously. Many of the accused sit in jail waiting for an attorney to be appointed to them. Once they have an attorney, the attorney is often swamped with so many other cases, he or she doesn’t have more than a few minutes to glance at the case before meeting the client, often for the first time, in the courtroom.

Justice is also delayed for victims and their families.

When the public defenders office cannot do its job, one of the underlying principles of the United States “justice for all” suffers.
It will take money appropriated by the state legislatures to fix this problem. It may take private attorneys working together with the state and local courts to ease the load, too.

Since public defenders are held to the same licensing standards as private attorneys, they feel their careers are on the line if they don’t cross all their “T’s” and dot all their “I’s.” And that, they say, is impossible to do when you can’t see your desk from the hundreds of files sitting on top of it.

Being “green” is trendy right now, which means that many politicians are open to ideas promoted as green. While that is great news for the environmental movement, that doesn’t mean that local politicians always get what it really means to make green decisions. There are a few substantial ways that you can push local politics a little closer to your tree-hugging ideal.

Hiring a sustainability coordinator is a must-do for any mid- to large city. In Kentucky, that would include Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Paducah, Covington, Newport, Richmond, Bowling Green, and Berea, at a minimum. Other, smaller areas can hire someone on a short contract or part-time, but sustainability coordinators are important there, too.

These coordinators often work for a percentage of what they save the city in energy usage. They work to decrease energy use by putting better workflow habits into place, improving water and sewer lines, suggesting better vehicles, and making other changes.

In addition, a solid recycling program also is a necessity for all towns and cities. Good recycling programs can make money for cash-strapped local governments. It isn’t enough just to have recycling but push local politicians to work on a public education campaign about what can be recycled and how valuable it is to the Earth and the city’s bank account.

Green spaces hold a growing importance in our concrete world. New developments should have a minimum percentage of the land dedicated to green spaces, and the city should have spaces with trees and grasses as well. Being out in nature is excellent for our physical and mental health, and it encourages people to care for the environment.

These three ideas are just the tip of what local activists can help bring about in their cities. Working to create a greener tomorrow in Kentucky is a lengthy, but rewarding, process.

Now that the summer has passed and autumn begins its transition into winter, gardeners should take advantage of the lull in activity to plan what they want to do in their yards next year. This is the perfect time to start planning what types of flowers and food-bearing plants you will put in your garden. You should also start thinking about any improvements that you might want to start making to your garden plot.

Around this time last year, I undertook a fairly large project in my backyard. Some people thought that I was crazy to build raised beds and fencing during December, but it made sense to me. Not only did I have some free time, I also got to do the work during a time of year when it’s not too hot. This way I will be ready to start gardening as soon as the ground thaws.

I also built a small scarecrow to keep out the birds. It was a simple task. I just used items that I found around the house: an old mop, a torn TapouT shirt and pair of stained pants. It seemed to work fairly well at keeping the birds out. It didn’t, unfortunately, do much to stop the deer that recently moved into the neighborhood after a developer tore down acres of nearby wooded land.

Even if you are not a fan of chilly weather, you can still start planning for next year’s garden. Run outside and take a few quick measurements so that you know what kind of space you have. Then use a piece of graph paper to determine exactly where all of your flowers, vegetable plants and fruit plants will go. By the time spring arrives, you’ll know exactly what you want to do.

Helping a Green Party candidate get elected in a local or state election requires a savvy understanding of the Green Party’s principles and political campaigning. Because Green Party candidates are painted as the “other” in elections, campaigners must determine the best ways to make the Green Party candidates looks like qualified, respectable candidates to avoid the stigma that accompanies third-party candidates in much of the United States.

Stick with the standards that candidates from other parties use in campaign information. Provide a basic background, including education and work experience as well as one sentence about the candidate’s personal life. Use both printed literature and social networking to reach people. Though Green Party candidates believe in environmental sustainability, having a limited amount of literature available will help attract some more mainstream voters. Just be conscientious about what you print.

Harness the power of the internet! One of the disadvantages of being a third-party candidate is lack of funding compared to Democrats and Republicans. Politics is, at its core, about being able to reach voters. Facebook, Twitter, and candidate websites are easy, free (or inexpensive) ways to reach thousands of voters. Find a young, enthusiastic campaign volunteer who understands how to leverage these networking tools and make the most of them.

Push for inclusion in debates. If you think the local chamber of commerce, a frequent host in local elections, won’t include you, then begin to approach nonprofits or business owners who you think may be sympathetic to the idea of including all candidates. Ask these people to sponsor alternative debates or to push for the main debates to include all candidates.

Being confident about your right to participate in local election discussions and knowing how to use the benefits you have will help improve your chances of getting elected as a third-party candidate.

Although all other nations view the United States as the richest country in the world, poverty still exists in this multi-cultural country. The United States has far more billionaires than any other countries in the world. However, the distance between the rich and the poor is also very huge in this country. The recession in December 2007 has especially widen this distance and also worsen the poverty crisis in the US.

The World Bank reported in August 2008 that there has been no major poverty reduction in the last couples of decades across the whole world. The only nation that sees poverty reduction is China. If China is not counted towards the calculation, poverty across the world only fell by 10 percent.  The US also has to face several turmoil and crisis that make poverty an even more complicated issue.

The poverty rate soared from 13,2% in 2008 to 15% in 2009 due to financial crisis. This is the highest percentage ever since 1959 when the US government started calculating the poverty percentage. There are 45 million American living in poverty in 2009, which is a big number anyway. Child poverty is also an issue, one of every five children in the US is living in poverty and struggling to meet the basic requirements and standards.

Getting rid of poverty seems to be the ultimate issue that is facing all nations regardless developed or developing. However, the solution to this issue is not easy to carry out, especially on a wide scale as each nation has its own characteristics. The US government is doing its best to increase the overall living standards of all its citizens. In 2010, when the economy is seeing signs of recovery from the crisis, the number of jobless claims decreases and the number of job vacancy also increases accords the nation. Maybe this is a good sign that the US is gaining control over the crisis and may find ways to decrease poverty in the near future.

Recently we have seen a great deal of oil spilling around the world. Needless to say, these oil spilling occurrences have imposed a great threat to the surrounding environment. Many parties and organizations around the world have protested against oil drilling activities, especially unsecured ones. However, up till now, the effect of these protests have been minimal, due to the huge financial profit that oil brings back.

To effectively reduce the adverse impact oil spills have on the environment, we should try every possible method to clean oil spills as well as purify the affected area in the shortest time possible. Many green parties in the United States are opposed to oil drilling and have been actively involved in oil spill cleaning activities. One of the most active states in the United States that is affected by oil spilling is South Carolina. South Carolina has more than 180 miles of coastline, with many inlets and islands. Before the Gulf Coast spill, the Us have already undergone more or less than 40 spills with each greater than 1,000 barrels since 1964. In the oil-affected areas, animals, fish, birds and other sea life have been destroyed. Oil cannot fully dissolve in water so too much oil can cause dramatic decrease in the level of oxygen and therefore make fish and sea plant die.

Oil cleaning activities should be performed in a hurry and thorough manner so as to get rid of oil spills the fastest way. Too much delay or lack of effective cleaning facility can result in environmental catastrophe.

Green parties around the world should do their best to help in this oil cleaning process. In fact, they have helped out a lot. Many animals and lots of plants and sea life have been saved thanks to the wholehearted activities of environmental-aware people and parties.

Each year more and more women are diagnosed with breast cancer. The amount of death due to breast cancer also increase dramatically over time. Today, not only the developed countries are affected with this disease but many developing countries also  have a high level of deaths due to this disease. Many organizations have established breast cancer charity work to help people cope with this illness. These activities have helped many people with financial issues to cope with the disease, mane people have therefore been cured.

Breast cancer can happen to any woman, at any time. However, the disease tends to occur when women reach their middle age or menopause period. The most effective way to cope with the disease is to prevent it before it happens to you. Each 6 months each woman should go to the doctor  and have their breast tested for signs of breast cancer. If you know the disease early you will have a higher possibility of surviving.

To cure breast cancer, doctors often advise patients to cut off one part of the breast that is effected with cancer. After the treatment and the surgery, many women find themselves having difficulties getting back to their usually, especially their sex lives. Many choose Silicone Breast Augmentation as a way to feel "normal" and to gain back confidence in their life.

Breast Cancer Charity Organizations are here to help all kinds of people to cope with this disease. Whenever a patient have difficulties coping with this fatal disease, they can consult the voluntary specialist.

Green parties all over the world, especially in the United States have established many kinds of Breast cancer assistance centers. Due to the high number of breast cancer patients in this country, it is highly beneficial to the patients. If the patient has difficulties coping with the illness financially the organization will help her find support and donors so that she will have a chance to cure herself of the disease.

The Green Party has never been known as the most visible of political groups, but they’re becoming more and more present as years go on.  This is especially true as other groups become more extreme in their rhetoric and positions, opening territory for the moderate and environmentally friendly Green Party to show its color proudly.  Unfortunately, some groups are more than willing to use this struggle for visibility to manipulate the polling process.

It’s certainly true that Green Party representatives are more akin to Democrats than Republicans, and it’s for this very reason that Republicans are helping Green Party representatives get their names onto the ballots.  Conservative groups have donated heavily, helped campaign, signed petitions, and sidestepped pushing their own representatives into too powerful of positions.  And why?

The theory is that having Green Party representatives on the ballots will successfully tip the scales toward Republican nominees due to the fact that more liberal votes will be more split between the Green Party and the Democrats.  The tactic may go back to historic evidence from the Bull Moose party in the early 1900s, when a "similar to Republican" nominee who formed his own party got enough of the votes siphoned off of the Republican nominee that the Democrat went into office.

The case and point for this tactic is Texas, where even Republican officeholders have been giving handouts to Green Party nominees in order to make them more visible.

This creates a large amount of controversy, and a more difficult ethical decision.  Is it right to me more visible—and struggle for that visibility in whatever way possible—even when it might tip the scales toward a counterproductive political agenda?  Should Green Party nominees continue to accept these gifts and petition signatures, knowing that it will hurt the Democrats and help the visibility of the semi-transparent Green Party?

Have you heard of the famous campaign Living Wage? You know what? Usually this is a requirement that employers have  to pay a minimum wage to their employees. The U.S. federal government has a minimum wage of $ 5.15 per hour  which is not enough to live, even if you work 40 hours a week. The hirer will not likely raise their worker’s wage voluntarily in most case, that’s why the government have to set the rule to make sure the overall population is living at least up to the standards.

Although the United States is considered to be the richest country in the world, the distance between the rich and the poor is widening. Some people still have to work for pennies (at around 5 dollars an hour with no added benefits). AS the inflation is taking over, these poor people find it hard to survive. Although  they work long hours they still cannot manage to have even the slightest form of facility to smooth their lives.

The Livig Wage Campaign has been accepted by 79 cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston. In Los angeles, the minimum wage now has been rasied to $6.15. AS more and more cities pass this ordinance, we can see a rasie in the living standards of the lower class.

Although the Living Wage Campaign still encounters some objections as well as difficulties from various parties, we believe it will be a great success in the near future. A rich nation must be a nation in which all citizens have a high living standard. A nation cannot be considered rich if it has a too broad distance between the rich and the poor. By setting high minimum wage, we can help the poor cope with the economy. And as we come to develop more policies in the future, we are confident that we can gradually shorten the distance between the richest family and the poorest one.

Unless you are looking at a Chapter 13 filing and www.totalbankruptcy.com is your regular Internet stop, you should consider investing your money.

Regardless of your politics, consider what money managers advise people to do. Imagine all of your money sitting in a pile in front of them. Take out money for bills, money to pay debts, discretionary expenses, and the like. Whatever remains is for investment. Take out a tenth of this for riskier investments like the stock market, another tenth for no-risk investments like government bonds, and of what remains, a sizable portion can be used to hedge against inflation with gold purchases.

You can purchase gold in three distinct ways. First, buy gold bullion, as in bank-issued coins and bricks. Second, go for gold jewelry, and third, invest in gold ETFs. The first two gold purchases add an extra assurance to your investment, but at some costs. Among the costs are the fact that you can’t liquidate your gold easily, and you get a much lower price than spot gold prices, to say nothing of security and storage costs.

Buying gold ETFs takes away all of these costs, although, for the novice investor, it seems less secure. Gold ETFs are like stocks in that they’re bought and sold on the stock market. But they’re like mutual funds in that the company offering the ETF takes your money and invests it in gold. You do not have to worry about storage, security, or liquidating your physical gold. You usually get rates almost on par with the market, and unlike mutual funds that invest in risky stocks, investing in gold is usually held to be a very safe investment.

There are about 10 different gold ETFs in the U.S. market. Make sure to differentiate between a gold ETF and a gold mining company ETF. The latter are usually funds invested in a gold mining consortium.

Many people want to advance in life and fulfill their dreams. However, there are not many people who are able to do so. the majority finds it hard to do what they want in their life, maybe because they are not trying hard, or maybe they do not have what it takes to realize their dreams. In this society, it is critical important to have a good degree. Many young people strive hard to gain acceptance to worldly famous universities so that they can graduate with a valuable degree and receive better salaries.

The argument for higher education pursue is pretty obvious and I assume most people agree with this argument. The society also put a strong emphasis on the level of education when they evaluate a person. Imagine how embarrassing you are if you answer "I’ve dropped out of high school" when people ask about your education. Many people especially employers will not appreciate a person with limited education basis. Therefore, for the most part, if you want to feel secured then you should possess at least a Bachelor’s degree.

However, there are many people who have great success without going to any school or university. For instance, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft Corporation, has dropped out of his Harvard University when he decided to pursue his business. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Corporation, also dropped out of school for the same reason. In fact, there are many examples of famous and successful business people who did not attend any university. However, just a warning, these people are just a minority and they do have exceptional talent. If you consider yourself to be a "normal person" with no special talent or interest, you should not deem that you can make a great success without pursuing higher education. To be on the safe side, you should have at least a Bachelor’s degree and maybe pursue a career like a CPA who prepares business taxes for corporations to earn a nice salary before moving on to establish your own empire.

The Green Party has a long history and has been involved in a lot of important political actions.  During this series, we will discuss important steps forward in the political arena, various actions, and other historic moments of note.  In this article, we will discuss the actions taking place in 1995 and 96 as they relate to the 1996 Presidential Election.

Each year, there is a national Green Gathering, and in 1995 this took place in New Mexico.  There were three members of the party (Jan, Feinstein, and Schmidt) who put forward a measure that would launch the Green Party far more into the public spotlight.  The idea was relatively straightforward: The Green party would try to get a candidate for president on the ballot in forty different states.

A small portion of the group felt ill at ease about moving into the national arena in such a momentous way, but the strong majority favored the idea.  Various members of the Green Party who were interested in running or wanted to sponsor another candidate put forward various petitions and requested the support of other party members.  It was in 1996 that Ralph Nader accepted the position on the ballot.

Running off of a $5,000 campaign budget (something that Nader himself decided on), the Green candidate selected a vice-president (Winona LaDuke) and was officially selected as the representative at a Green Party convention.  Upon acceptance, Nader gave a speech that extended past the two hour mark, and which was broadcast on both Pacifica Radio and C-SPAN.

In addition to appearing on the ballot, Nader’s speech helped to increase nationwide exposure for the Green Party on the whole.  While the Nader name was only on the ballot in twenty-two states, they received nearly a full percent of the votes, with the total received sitting at nearly 700,000.

The 1996 election showed that the Green Party had the power to be recognized, with Nader receiving nearly a full percent of the votes.  However, there was still plenty of room for improvement, and the Presidential campaign was a great way to publicize that.

The time between the ’96 and ’00 elections was one of growth but also divergence within the Green Party.  The ASGP was a division of active Greens who were intent on getting more Green Party representatives present and elected in political scenes across the country.  Other divisions of Green groups formed for activism, voice, and other pruposes.

When the 2000 elections arrived, Nader and LaDuke were the candidates for the Greens once again.  The two exceeded their goals for ’96 by making it onto all but six of the state ballots.  Further, and perhaps more importantly, the two more than tripled their total number of votes, reaching nearly three million in total.  Certain specific states had a particularly strong voice for the Nader/LaDuke ticket.

The major reason this meant change for the party is that it was no longer simply a group trying to get the "ruling" parties to listen on important issues.  It was a party that could actually make a showing at the polls, receive broad public support, and make an electoral dent—small as it might have been at that time.

Nader received some criticism for the large number of votes that he received, especially since almost all of the support was from the more liberal end of the spectrum.  With such a narrow vote between Gore and Bush, it’s possible that the Green Party presence led to Bush’s election.  This unforeseen circumstance may not have been ideal for the political scene, but it was highly positive for the party itself.

After the campaign, the number of recruits into the Green Party saw a huge climb, with unforeseen growth and the highest party numbers ever.

The Nader ticket had come under fire in 2000 because many believed it (accidentally) killed Gore’s presidential candidacy by siphoning off votes.  As the 2004 election approached, the Green Party prepared for another presidential campaign.  However, this was all in the midst of pressure from various liberal groups who wanted to see no Green ticket in ’04.  The fear was that this would again create an unfair slant against Democratic nominees and the fact that this would impinge on liberal agendas that the Green Party supported made for a difficult decision in the ’04 race.

The decision was made in Summer of 2003, when 158 different representatives of the Green Party put together a statement titled "Green and Growing: ’04 in Perspective."  The statement made the following major points.

1)  The presidential campaign was an important opportunity to gain momentum as a group.
2)  The campaign would allow for greater visibility.
3)  The differences in stance would highlight the places where Democrats failed to meet the needs of certain liberal individuals or groups (and most specifically foreign policy and domestic issues).

There was controversy both inside and outside the Green Party because of this decision, and numerous solutions appeared.  For example, Ted Glick made statements that the Greens should certainly campaign, but ought to avoid the swing states so that electoral ballots weren’t impacted.  Others felt that an aggressive campaign to try to get as much support as possible in whatever locations it was present.

The end party decision was to use a "state by state" policy, where the Green Party would decide what they wanted their approach to the campaign to be in each individual region.  Based on how much support they needed, how much they previously had, whether or not the state was a swing state, and a number of other issues, Greens would adapt their strategy.

Are you concerned with the authorized gun possession policy in the United States? Are you a US person who owns a gun? Well, there are much controversies over the gun control policy not only in the United States but also in many other countries around the world.

Reasons Against This Policy

According to the Gun Control Facts’s statistics, in 2009, there is 39 percent of all American voted against the legality of gun control. Many citizens demanded that the government should prohibit personal gun possession and use of gun as a means of security protection. But many people doubted the effect of such prohibition, since there are black markets for trade of guns and firearms around the US.

Gun is accounted for thousands of children’s death every year in the US and the statistics have shown that gun is the sources for illegal transfer of gun and firearms in the hands of the criminals. The case of the Columbine High School mass assault can be prevented if gun control would have been prohibited. The police have found out that the two students who committed the crime have violated at least 20 gun control laws due to loopholes in the rules.  The strongest argument against gun control policy is that nine among the safest states in the United States allow its people to carry gun with them.

The controversies will go on and on as a solution has yet to be made. AS we have already said earlier, posing gun control policy will not help prevent crime as the criminals have many means of attaining guns and firearms from the black markets. There are many pros and cons against the carry of gun but the Second Amendment has granted this right of every citizen. Needless to say, being able to carry gun with us when we are moving around makes us feel much safer. Possessing a gun is not a problem if we know how to rightly use it.

In some countries, people have to abide by some of the most weird laws in the world. Have you ever been fined for running out of gas? Although some laws are really weird and silly, if you are a foreigner you will need to know these laws in order not to get into trouble with the police.

Some Weird Laws in The U.S.

If you live in Oklahoma, you may get into serious trouble if you make faces at a dog (!), some people have to stay in prison for doing this. And in Los Angeles, if you bathe two babies in the same tub and get seen then you may have to report before the police. In Florida, you will be prosecuted if you have sexual intercourse with porcupines. If you live in Camel, New York and you are a man, you’d better not wear pants and jackets of different colors since you have a high chance of being arrested by the police if do so.

Some Strange Laws around the World

In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (What if you suddenly have a heart attack?). Maybe this law wants to aim towards the ones who commit death planning. In Israel, you should not pick your nose on Sunday( Israelis who suffers from nasal allergies must all wish they have a detachable nose!). If you are a cheating student in Bangladesh and you get caught, you will be imprisoned. In the 16th an 17th century in Turkey, drinking coffee was illegal and can lead to death punishment. If you live in Indonesia and you get caught masturbating, you can be decapitated! ( Now I am glad I am American!).

These strange rules are really weird and some are very cruel and intolerable. However, if you travel a lot to different countries then you’d better pay attention to the weird rules of each country unless you want to end up in the prison or get into much more serious troubles.

Many in America were not even aware of the Green Party until candidate Ralph Nader appeared on the ballots in 1996.  However, the Green Party existed in the U.S. well before then, and had a presence elsewhere for decades before making it to U.S. shores.  One of the most important times in the history of the Green Party is its founding in Tasmania.

The Green Party saw its first official organization in 1972.  However, this was not a sudden presence on an otherwise politically empty field.  There had been concern on the social justice and environmental fronts since the early sixties, when controversy about Lake Pedder came to a political forefront.  Other controversies throughout the 1960s created a strong demand for representation, but the bipolar reality of the two party system simply didn’t address the needed concerns.

Throughout the 1960s, various smaller groups pushing for environmentally conscious change began to emergy.  It was these groups of Tasmanian citizens concerned with core issues who combined to form the Green Party, now commonly referred to simply as "The Greens."

The official formation of the Green Party happened in 1972, and that same year the group began to host public meetings about environmental issues.  The group initially lasted for five years, but was reformed shortly thereafter, and has seen political activism in many arenas ever since.  The Tasmanian Greens are still a noteworthy political group in their region.

More importantly, however, is their impact on the rest of the global politics.  Many groups throughout Europe began following the example of the Greens, with special success being seen by groups in Germany.  The Green Party eventually expanded into the United States in 1984, and is still a global movement with increasing momentum and support.  European and American representation are substantial, and a united global front between countries has been very successful.

The Green Party saw a lot of controversy during the presidential elections.  The fact that they were negatively impacting the Democratic candidate (more in 2000 than ’04) led some liberals to feel that the Greens were, in a practical sense, defeating their own objectives.  Much of this sentiment was born out of the fact that the Greens never seemed to place a candidate—merely campaign enough to deprive similar groups of votes.

However, the Green Party saw immense growth from 1996 to 2004, and they were ready to launch aggressive campaign in numerous places in the 2006 mid-terms.  Across the nation, strong campaigning efforts centered on local regions made the Green ticket more viable than it ever had been in the past.  The end result was that the Green Party won sixty-six total elections in those mid-terms.  More than twenty of these were in California, and nearly a dozen were in Wisconsin.

Among other representatives was one Gayle McLaughlin, who was elected into the mayorship of Richmond.  While other mayorial campaigns were won by the Green Party, Richmond was the first major city to have a Green representative.

Maine was another territory for victory.  While they failed to get the Governor spot, a large chunk (nearly ten percent) of the voices cried out for Pat LaMarch, a green candidate.  Additionally, numerous members were elected to the Portland City Council.

Illinois saw similar gubernatorial figures to Maine, but saw additional high figures with Tom Kelley as a Congress candidate (over twenty percent of the vote).

Pennsylvania saw a large amount of support, but was unable to get on the ballot because of an obscenely high petition threshold.

With numerous victories throughout the States, the Green Party proved in 2006 that they were more than a party of deprivation.  They were a legitimate alternative for those who’s needs were better met by the Green Party.

There’s no doubt that the tragedy of September 11th was devastating for America.  Yet somehow, the "War on Terror" moved quick quickly into a Middle-East conflict that was only tangentially related to terrorism.  Presence in Iraq was not merely difficult for America—it made a statement about how our country would relate to the rest of the world.  The statement was simple: our way or violence.

The Green Party quickly made a statement vehemently opposing the War in Iraq.  The war had never been declared by congress, since it managed to swing through the "conflict" loophole.  It brought more disorder and conflict to already tumultuous parts of the world.  It was simply wrong.

The Green Party did more than just make a statement about the events happening around the world, however.  They began initiatives that called for impeachment of President Bush and immediate withdrawal from Iraq and other locations in that part of the world.  Other similar bills were posed by other groups and organization, and the Green Party did what they could to sponsor these.

The result was astounding.  Nearly nine million Americans actively lent their voice to the cause, calling out for withdrawal.  There are certain states where initiatives for exiting the Middle-East won in a clear and evident way—such as in Wisconsin, where more than a three-quarter majority favored that withdrawal; and Massachusettes, where less than twenty percent voted against initiatives with similar language.

Those who pay any attention to the news are fully aware that we did not leave Iraq.  Further, while President Obama did withdraw from Iraq, he did so only to put more support into other foreign territories.  Nonetheless, the action from Greens when it comes to the conflict in Iraq send a strong message about what the group can do when it combines concerted effort and intelligent campaigning.

Most people find it hard to invest in education. However, with modern-day financial instruments like cash advances, this should not be a problem. They feel that investing in education is a waste of time and effort. This might be attributed to factors like family pressure, lack of understanding on how education can help a person and the pressure to start earning before the rest of the pack does.

However, if one were to consider how embarrassing it would be to give an answer that he/she is uneducated or only attended school till grade 8, when someone inquires about a person’s education level, the need for education would be much stronger. Even if one does not go on to pursue a post graduation, it is mandatory to have at least a basic degree.

The advantages of having a higher education are very many. First, it helps you climb the corporate ladder faster than having to fight your way through the echelons. Secondly, corporate bosses realize that it is easier to delegate tasks to people who are well-qualified without the need to keep repeating instructions.

As children, we all would have dreamt of leading a life of sophistication, driving around the city in costly cars, picking up any dress that we spot at the fashion boutique without even bothering to check the price tag, and a phenomenal bank balance. Higher education certainly makes our dreams come true. Moreover, a person with a higher education degree finds it easy to gain access to any company across the globe.

Finally, having a higher education means a hefty pay package and better increments at the end of each appraisal, in comparison with your peers. There are so many financial institutions queuing up to offer you payday loans and financial loans. So, it is just a matter of grabbing those and being on your way to becoming another CEO of tomorrow.

The Green Party saw a lot of movement across the globe during the 60s (when they had yet to form a fully organize coalition), 70s (when they were first founded in Tasmania and spread through Europe, and 80s (when the global spread continued).  Success in major areas of the globe, including notable success in Asia and Western Europe, prompted much Green support in the United States.

It was in 1984 that the Green Party first surfaced in the U.S., although their first actual meetings and presence didn’t occur until 1987.  In ’87, California residents gathered in noteworthy numbers (upward of a thousand people) at the first ever Green Conference.

This marked the first "Greening the West" meeting, a set of conventions aimed at creating a Green Party presence in the United States and other portions of North America.  Various speakers were present at these conventions, and ranged from foreign political members to scientists and more.  Notable speakers included ecologist Bill Devall, Patricia Ellsberg, Charlene Spretnak, and Joanna Macy.

The group gained further representation from 1987 to 1991, and was officially recognized in ’91 as a political party.  The group subsequently organized into various political action groups, and was initially targeted at supporting non-profit organizations, taking part in NPO actions, lending support to politicians who had a strong green agenda, and otherwise impacting the political scene indirectly.

As you’ll read in other entries, this changed in 1996 with the presidential elections that year.  Since that time, support for the Green Party has grown, although the tactics for how to enter races has adapted over time so that the group does not damage the chances of Democrats who far more substantially share an agenda than the Republican Party does.

It’s certain that the Green Party will continue to increase in strength and relative size as the years go on.

Going green has even transected to being green with your pets. As guardians of your animals, you are also the guardians of the environment they live in. They, too, can make changes to help the environment with a few simple steps. For instance, if you go to the doggie park with your dog, walk there instead of driving. When using pooper scooper bags use, biodegradable bags for the feces. Cat owners can go for eco friendly cat litters. Many biodegradable options are litters made from wood chips or recycled wood chips. Be sure to avoid brands with mined minerals.

When it comes to grooming, air dry or towel dry your pet instead of using a blow dryer. Many environment friendly shampoos and conditioners are available for pet grooming as well. If your pet has an accident on the floor reach for the vinegar. The vinegar must be properly diluted with water, but it works great and will kill odor and bacteria. Vinegar is less expensive and is an environmentally friendly option.

When “treating” your pet consider making your own treats. There are many treat cookbooks or search on the internet for recipes shared by others. The possibilities are endless. If you do opt for store bought treats try to buy them in cardboard packaging and be sure to recycle. Using a stainless steel or ceramic food bowls will last longer and are more biodegradable.

Be sure to buy toys that are made with organic cotton or natural dyes. Some toys actually have pesticides in them and can actually cause pet allergies. Instead of using plastic water bottles when you travel with your pet use your own water from home in an eco friendly bottle. Most bottled water is tap water and your own water is what your pet is used to.

If you have pet s such as fish or hermit crabs put their lights on a timer. This will save electricity. You can also find biodegradable foods and tank materials are reasonably priced.

Your pet can “go green” too by you making a few small changes in their environment.

There are hybrid cars out there that of course are very green cars. Scientists say that electric cars running fully on battery power, not fuel, aren’t very far off. There are also cars that run on  ”alternate fuel” such as E85, making the cost to the driver lower and the environment a better place. Bio diesel is also available which is a diesel made from veggie base and carbon neutral fuel. This fuel will run in any current diesel fueled engine without modifications. Not everyone can run out and buy a new vehicle in these challenging economic times, but there are ways the driver can make their present car “green”  with little to no cost.

The way a person drives has a lot to do with their fuel consumption. Short, jerky stops and driving above the speed limit are the biggest offenders. Drivers should strive to keep their RPMs between 1200 and 3000 RPMs. Also combine errands and take fewer trips, as well as trying to carpool. Find someone you work with or go to school with and take turns driving. It’s a win win situation for the driver and the environment.

Drivers should keep cars in tip top condition. Get regular tune ups and be sure to have an air filter that is in good condition and doesn’t need changed. A clean air filter helps drivers use less gas, pollute less, and offsets trouble down the line. Be sure the tires are at the proper inflation. If every American had properly inflated tires on their cars we would save 2 billion dollars of gas a year! That’s a lot of extra fuel going into our environment that is not needed!
Take it easy with the AC in your car. There are solar fan options as well as rolling down the windows, which is free. When the car is parked, try to park it in the shade and use a windshield shade to keep the heat out so the AC wouldn’t need to be ran as long.

There are many inexpensive, easy ways to go green with your car.

A common misconception people have about going green with groceries is that it has to be expensive. There are several small things that can be done to go green and not only have a family eating healthier but also creating a healthier environment.

Shoppers do not have to buy their groceries at a grocery store. Shoppers can easily grow their own vegetables, herbs, and spices. It can cut down on wasteful packaging and saves money. Even if shoppers have a very small yard they can make room for a garden and make a difference. Look for neighbors that are interested in gardening. If a neighbor grows a garden it is possible to trade produce and goods that are grown in the respective back yards.

Buying reusable bags instead of plastic bags cuts down on a tremendous amount of waste. Plastic bags are much less sturdy than the reusable bags and they are terrible for the environment. If there are no reusable bags on hand choose paper instead of plastic. Many stores will even give a small discount to shoppers who bring their own bags.

Look closely at the products you buy. Is the company using recyclable paper? Patronize those companies that do and are “going green”. When buying toiletry items go for items that are non-aerosol items such as a roll-on deodorant or a pump spray hair spray.

Don’t waste money on throw away batteries. Use rechargeable batteries and save money, while saving the environment. Rechargeable batteries have become very cost effective and convenient to use.

When buying organic products it is best to think local. Many farmer’s markets are found in neighborhoods. Their products are usually cheaper and safer, plus it is supporting the local economy.

Skipping red meat one day a week can cut your foods carbon footprint by about 5%. There are more options for green meat becoming available at a steady rate. Farmers are offering grass fed beef and free ranging chickens at an increasing rate. Check with your local farmers and see what is available.

Going green at the table doesn’t have to be expensive!

The hot topic in politics today is the Tea Party Movement. The Tea Party began to emerge in 2009 through a series of protests. It started out as a frustrated group of Americans protesting together and has evolved into an actual political party. One of the originating protests did involve tea bags. Graham Makohoniuk invited people to mail a tea bag to congressmen and senators to protest the government bailouts of auto makers.

One of the common ideas that Tea Party Members agree on is that government has gotten too big and too powerful. Nine out of ten members are unhappy with the country’s direction and see the federal debt affecting their future adversely. Their top concerns are the economy and jobs.

The Tea Party supports internet freedom. No regulation or tax on the internet. They support all political meetings of a non security measure being broadcast on
C-Span and the internet. They support demanding a balanced budget and requiring 2/3 majority vote for any tax hikes. The Tea Party favors ending big government spending by imposing a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of inflation rate, plus the percentage of population growth.

The Gadsden flag has become the symbol for the Tea Party. The “Don’t Tread on Me” flag appears at many rallies and meetings of the Tea Party. The first hour the Tea Party movement had a website on the internet, it had over 115,000 hits.
There are concerns that the Tea Party could cause problems in the primaries. A Tea Party victory could divide some parties when it comes time to vote in the primaries giving the other candidate the advantage.

There is no clear cut agenda for the “Tea Party” thus far. It seems to be a lot of discontented groups banning together to form a somewhat organized party. They have gained some victories in the primaries and have garnered attention for themselves. If the reader is interested in politics, some research on the Tea Party agenda would be worthwhile as it seems, for now, it has staying power

Conflicts in the Middle-East are a strong part of many political agendas, but they tend to focus on the conflicts where the U.S. is directly involved.  One situation that is often disregarded to too great of a degree is the conflict between Israel and Palestine.  The violent clash between the two sees much bloodshed, and the Green Party saw a need to create a full statement in November of 2005.

The following points were struck on in the official statement:

1.  A demand that Israel be boycotted and non-recognized until such a time that they fully restore the rights to the Palestinian people, both as individuals and as a group.

2.  That all Green Party groups, associated groups, or supporting entities join in boycotting Israel entirely.

3.  That governments around the globe needed to boycott Israel in a similar manner, and that individual states within the U.S. should join in this cause.

4.  That all Campus Greens (a student organization of Green Party members) should work alongside other groups within their campus, as well as their campus administration, in order to make sure their entire institution was effectively boycotting Israel.

5.  That all groups affiliated with the anti-war efforts of the Green Party (most notably the Green Peace Action Committee) should both a) boycott Israel as an institution and b) encourage all others they are associated with to do likewise.

6.  That the international committee of the Green Party was to work with all other Green organizations and other associated groups across the globe in order to achieve international support of this boycott.

While the boycott itself didn’t see a strong amount of support on a high echelon of the political spectrum, numerous institutions, online degree programs and some regions sponsored the boycott.  Other political action groups with a similar outlook on the conflict used the GP boycott as the foundation for their own action.

Most everyone in America has heard about or knows someone who is actively living the green lifestyle. This is a trend that is becoming more popular as the years go by. Why do they bother doing this? The answer is simple, conservation. People are making a whole hearted conscience effort to save water, electricity and taking that extra step further to recycle and reuse items.

It is doing simple things like filling up a ½ gallon container with water and placing it in the toilet tank to save water. Call your electric company and have them inspect your home to see how efficient your windows are and teach you how to save using electronic devices that control electric. If you take a moment, separate and recycle plastic, glass, and paper. They can be made into other things that the consumer can eventually use. Nothing is wasted and the result is less trash in the landfills.

Even the large manufactures have jumped on the band wagon to help the green effort. They make and sell products that are used specifically for conservation purposes. They make things like sprinkler heads that use less water, sprinkler system timers, and the like. For the people that like to tinker in the garden, outdoor solar lighting is a wonderful green choice and works as good as regular electrical outdoor lighting. Another interesting product would be the rain barrels that catch water so that gardeners can use the water to water their plants. Using the barrel means that you are not using drinking water. After all, rain is free.

One of the top reasons for living a greener life is for our grand children and their children. We want them to have the same resources that we are enjoying today. In order for that to become a reality, we all must do our part to conserve. Make a list of all the things you are willing to do to help the environment, and then put those words into action. Once you begin, you will find it rewarding and you will be influencing others along the way.

During major elections, children see politicians on television insulting one another. Generally, the closer the vote date gets,the nastier they will be. They also hear their parents discuss the debatable topics. Although kids don’t really understand what it is and how elections work, they are still very curious to learn about it. They are interested in what happens in the world they live in. As parents, it is our responsibility to explain what politics are and how each person in America has the privilege to vote.

There are ways to open the line of communication and get the conversation started. One way to do this is have your child watch the news with you one night. After each segment, talk about what you saw and answer any questions the child has. This will open their eyes to a new way of thinking and a better understanding of politics.

Undoubtedly, your child will have questions about the war in Iraq since this is still one of the top issues going on in our world today. When giving them an explanation, use simple words that they can comprehend. Make sure they understand why our military became involved. Make a conscience effort not to frighten them with what you tell them as that is the last thing you would want to do.

Once your child understands what basic politics means, as they grow they will continue to learn about the different issues at hand and be able to vote for them. Teaching the Democratic or Republican way at this point is really not necessary. When they become an adult they will develop their own views and decide which party to join. Most children will choose the party that their parents support, as that has been what they have been taught from the beginning.

If parents are educated on the basics of politics, they will find it easier to communicate with their children about it. It may be helpful to get a book about that topic and read it together with the kids. You both may learn something new.

Most people want to “Go Green”. There are things that you can do in your home to get you started. These are very simple ideas to follow, but keep in mind, each task is meant to lower your electric bill. Not only are you saving money, your saving the environment.

1. Plant a large tree in a place where the shade from it will cover the part of your home where the sun beats down in the afternoon. The shade lowers the indoor temperature keeping your air conditioner from working overtime. You can plant more than one tree, just make sure there is plenty of room for the roots to grow allowing the trees to flourish.

2. The air conditioning system in your home uses more energy than any other large appliance in your home. Find a reputable professional to come clean your unit. The cost is approximately $100, so it is budget friendly. Be sure to change the filter in your air conditioner once a month for more efficient use of energy. By maintaining the air conditioner annually, it will last for many years.

3. Think about how many times you have walked out of a room and left the lights on. This can be costly. Turn the lights off when exiting a room. You can save approximately $100 a year by changing to compact fluorescent bulbs. The amount saved is estimated on replacing five or six bulbs. Just imagine what the savings would be if you replace all your light bulbs.

4. The next time you are in the market for a new kitchen or laundry appliance, take a good look at the appliances that have the energy star label on them. This label means that it helps the environment and saves energy. Energy saving products are no more expensive than the others.

5. Keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees in the summer and 65 degrees in the winter. Depending on your climate, you may have to adjust the temperature, but remember, for each degree you program the unit, up or down, it affects your savings.

There are many issues the Green Party supports, one being recycling. Recycling has been an issue for many, many years. Although it has been included in lesson plans in the school system to teach children early on, starting in elementary school, it continues to be an on-going problem. Parents need to take a more active role in recycling so their children will continue recycling into their adult years.

With today’s economy many people have turned to recycling to make a little extra money. These people that put their pride aside and go along the streets late at night the night before trash pick up or early in the morning the day off to sift through people’s garbage looking for recyclable goods. They will then take their collection of goods to a local recycling center and get reimbursed cash for it.

Is it really that hard to recycle? Many would say yes, but please, how hard is to have an extra trash can or bin next to your garbage can to collect recyclable products. Recycling centers accept aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper. You can either use one bin to collect the products or separate bins for each type of recyclable. At the end of the week either set the container on the side of the street on trash pick up day or take your collection to the local recycling center. Or, if you know of someone who does collect recyclables for extra income, why not call them and have them collect the items from you.

Look for the “Recyclable” symbol on the products that are recyclable. There are many recycling symbols but the most commonly used one is the symbol with three moving arrows forming a triangle. The Green Party has many ideas and articles on how to recycle. Everyone, everywhere, can recycle. Do the right thing and help the environment. Go Green!!

Recycling Christmas tress? Who has ever heard of such a thing? Well, it’s true. A Christmas tree, once covered in twinkling lights and decoreations and that brought joy to the Christmas holiday, can be recycled to help the environment in many ways.

One such way is to turn it into mulch to use in community parks and gardens, as well as playgrounds for children. The mulch is also used as a cushion on pathways for hikers. Many communities offer mulch free of charge to residents for their own personal use.

Another way that Christmas trees can be recycled is placing them in the wilderness creating protection for small animals. It gives them a place to hide from predators as well as protect them from harsh weather. There is an ongoing problem with erosion in the wetlands. For years the wetlands have been building fences by lining up the recycled Christmas trees. This has helped prevent the erosion saving acres of marshland. Christmas trees are also dropped in lakes or ponds giving fish protecttion at the bottom by providing a structure they can hide, feed, and reproduce.

Believe it or not, many Christmas trees are used as fuel. A company in Wisconsin has the trees gound up and uses it to fuel it’s paper mill and a company in Vermont have trees chipped and they burn them to generate electricity for power companies.

Choosing to use a live Christmas tree over an artifical Christmas tree is an enjoyable way to save the environment. The artificial trees do not decompose in the landfill, but, the live Christmas tree you have enjoyed over the holiday can be reused in many ways. Instead of leaving your live Christmas tree at the curb for trash pick up, look into contacting your local munincipality for locations to drop your tree off or to learn of scheduled pickup days.

water conservation is important in numerous ways. Listed below are some tips on how you can conserve water in and around your home.

1. Wash your dishes in a dishwasher rather than hand wash. Hand washing dishes uses three times more water than the dishwasher. Also, only run the dishwasher when it is completely full. Same goes with your washing machine. Make sure you are running it with full loads of laundry. If your loads are half full, be sure to use the appropriate settings.

2. Collect rain water with buckets to water your plants and flowers. You can also place the buckets at the bottom of your gutters to collect rain water. If you water your grass with a hose, water at night. Most of the water evaporates before it hits the ground if watering is done during the day.

3. Fill a couple of water bottles 2-3 inches with sand or cat litter and place them in the water tank of your toilet. This will displace some of the water when the toilet is flushed and the tank fills back up with water, saving some water each time a person flushes the toilet. Also, if you place food coloring in your toilet tank, wait a few minutes and if you see the colored water appear in the toilet bowl, you have a leak.

4. Go around your house and look for leaky faucets in the bathroom and kitchen. You would be surprised how much water is wasted with a little drip. Up to 24 gallons, in one day!

5. You will use less water taking a shower than taking a bath. Also, turning the water off while you lather up will reduce the amount of water used while you take a shower. If you are a die-hard bather, you can use your bath water to water flowers or plants outside.

There are many ways you can conserve water, but if you can follow just a few, you will be amazed at how much water you can save. That will not only benefit your wallet, but also benefit the environment you live in.

The death penalty is a highly debated subject between Americans. Many Americans oppose the death penalty, and along with them is the Green Party. The Green Party states capital punishment is an ineffective crime deterrent and it does not value human life. It has been stated that the death penalty is more so an emotional compensation for the crime victims families, and eye for an eye.

There are over 3500 inmates on death row across the nation. The average time it takes from a person being convicted to being executed is approximately 10 years. It is being studied that it may be cheaper to house an inmate under a life sentence than to keep an inmate on death row. Approximately 10% of inmates on death row are mentally retarded. Although there is a ruling stating that it is constitutional to execute an inmate with mental retardation, many states have passed legislation abolishing this ruling relying on the public’s feeling it was excessive punishment.
It was also legal for minors to executed but in a ruling in 2005 it was abolished to execute a minor.

It has been proven that there have been some inmates that were killed by the death penalty and then later found to be innocent. DNA testing has exonerated many inmates, with some being on death row. How could such a barbaric practice be legal when it isn’t 100% full proof and accurate.

Capital punishment is illegal in many countries around the world. There are more countries against it, than for it. The United Nations seems to lean towards the abolishment of capital punishment stating in a formal statement through out the world it is desirable to “progressively restrict the number of offenses for which the death penalty might be imposed, with a view to the desirability of abolishing this punishment”.

The Green Party will continue to fight against the democrats and republicans on death penalty until it is abolished across the nation. Who do you stand with?

War and Peace. Not only a title of a famous book but it is also an issue that the Green Party strongly stands by. There isn’t one person that loves war, but many who feel that war is the answer to settle disputes between nations. Not only are many lives lost of those that fight the wars but there are many lives of innocent people indirectly involved in the war that are lost. Many men, women, and children are killed by bombs and enemy fire.

As of September 7, 2010 the total number of deaths in the Iraqi War was 4,418, with 3,495 of those deaths in combat. With that, there have been approximately between 97,000 to 106,000 documented civilian deaths in Iraq. Those are innocent victims that did not have a choice and unfortunately had to pay the price.

The cost of the Iraqi War is over $150 billion a year, yes “billion”. It costs approximately $390,000 to deploy a soldier to Iraq for just one year. That is an absurd amount money for a war and it certainly doesn’t compensate for the life lost of even one of the soldiers.

Many families are losing a son or daughter, niece or nephew, brother or sister? Think of the little children that have to see their Mom or Dad leave for a long period of time or never come back. When reading articles on both sides there are good points brought to our attention. But, the bottom line is, no human life is worth losing over a war, American or not.

There have been many wars, and with that, many people who oppose war. The Green Party stands by their position that war is not effective or justifiable to settle disputes among nations and strongly urges the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq with the assistance of the UN Coalition.

It is safe to say that abortion is one of the most controversial issues the government battles. Many citizens feel abortion should be illegal and fight for “Pro-Life”. They feel that human life begins at the time of conception. “Pro-Choice” advocates disagree. They feel, along with the courts, that the point of “viability”, is when the fetus can survive outside it’s mother’s womb. Natural viability begins when the pregnancy is about 6 months along. Because of the modern medical practices, the age of viability is set back considerably.

The point of the matter is that abortion is the woman’s right to control her body. It is very important that the option of an abortion remains safe and available. Clinics need to be available and staffed with informed employees to offer advice on abortion and the procedure of an abortion. Due to the dedication of abortion physicians across the nation, abortions are one of the safest medical procedures providing women with accessible, safe care.

If abortion became illegal, women will still seek to get an abortion illegally. Getting an illegal abortion could be very dangerous, as it was starting back in the 1880′s. Thousands of women died after attempting abortions on their own or going to someone who is not trained professionally and use primitive methods in unsanitary conditions. This will happen again if abortion becomes illegal. Because of legalized abortion, a women’s chance of death from an abortion is far less likely to occur then a woman dying during childbirth.

Not so long ago several abortion clinics were getting bombs and physicians were getting shot. Laws were created called “Clinic Access” limiting the pro-life protesters what they can and cannot do and how far away they must be from the entrance of the abortion clinic. The women needed to feel safe. There were also laws that regulate when the states perform an abortion. First trimester abortions are not regulated. A second trimester abortion is regulated but it is not banned. A third trimester abortion can be banned, which most states practice.

Throughout the centuries planet Earth has taken a lot of abuse from people that have exploited it. Today, people are paying a price because of the greediness of others. The United States and other developed countries have exploited the natural resources that they have and they are now the one’s that are calling for better solutions. You may have noticed that the prices of oil have increased exponentially over the past few years. One of the reasons why citizens are paying so high for a gallon of oil is because the demand is so high and that the supply of oil can no longer sustain it. It is predicted that in the next fifty to a hundred years, our supply of oil will be longer available.

Green parties in most countries are looking for ways to sustain energy sources so that they can use it to power factories, cars, and of course homes. However, they have a lot of obstacles to get over before they find the best solution. One of the main hurdles that they need to get over is, of course, the financial barriers because there is no technology that is available that is as abundant and as powerful as oil. A lot of non-government organizations are now trying to development newer and more efficient technology but they are having a hard time because there is no real basis to go on.

Green parties are very important so that the future of the earth will be much better and last longer. In the past couple of years, there have been some unusual weather conditions that have destroyed a lot of towns, cities and even countries. This is primarily because of the fact that the Earth is sick and every passing day it is getting hotter and hotter which will eventually completely change the weather. No one knows the total extent of the damage since a lot of the data are mere estimates. One thing is for sure, if people do not take better care of their planet, it may not be around long enough for the generations to come.

You have probably watched the documentary by Al Gore, called “An Inconvenient Truth”. A lot of people believed it, but yet there are still a lot of people that are skeptics. There is a substantial amount of evidence that the planet is having serious problems, but there only a few people that are fighting to save it. It is very difficult to discount the fact that the Earth is sick and something needs to be done about it. However, the government and many companies do not want to help because they have a lot to gain from not helping. Although, not all parties in the government want to continue to exploit the natural resources that the planet has.

Green parties are advocates for the environment. They have a lot of issues to tackle ,such as how to decrease the effects of global warming, how to slow down the creation of holes in our ozone layer and, of course, how to become less reliant on oil. A lot of people feel that others are taking it to the extreme because they are calling for people to go back to basics. In reality, this is true. There are many ways people can conserve energy in their homes, they can even power their homes by solar energy.

A lot of countries have green parties, but of course, they belong to the minority. In the next ten years, there will be a growing number of supporters for the Green Party. You will find more and more celebrities getting involve with the Green Party. They are trying to spread the word that everyone needs to fight for their environment and their planet. They need to face reality that they cannot continue what they were doing ten years ago because they might end up furthering the destruction of their planet. They should start looking for alternative means of energy and, of course, alternative ways of getting our basic needs. Green parties definitely help spread the awareness for protecting the planet but, like every movement, they have a lot of hurdles that they need to get over.

Homosexuals have long been ostracized in society. Up until a few years ago, a lot of them had to live in the “closet” because of fear of retaliation and of discrimination. Today there are many of them that are living openly, however, there is still some sort social stigma that is attached to them. There is a growing debate about the rights of gays, lesbians and transgendered and it seems to be working in their favor. Many states are starting to approve homosexual marriages, but there are still a lot of people that are opposed to it. This particular topic is a major debate in today’s media because there are many people that are closed mind and old fashioned, that they are not totally open to the idea.

There are a lot of homosexuals in our mainstream media. For example, Ellen De Generes and Wanda Sykes are a couple of celebrities that are open about their lesbian marriages. The biggest problem they are facing is that there are still a lot of conservatives against them. In the past few years, tolerance for homosexuals has increased and in some cultures it is openly practiced. The problem is that there are still a lot of people that feel that they are violating some sacred right that is supposedly awarded to a lot of people. Organizations like GLAD are making it a lot easier for homosexuals to have some sense of a support structure and it also helps in fighting for rights, such as having the freedom to express themselves and of discrimination.

If you ask someone that is coming from A liberal upbringing, they say that homosexuals are humans too and that they need to be awarded the same rights that heterosexuals are awarded by the mere fact that they were born. One way of making them feel like the are like any other human being is tolerance. Tolerance is needed so homosexuals can be given the same rights that are given to heterosexuals. This includes marriage. Homosexual marriages should legalized because everyone is free to love who they want to love.

Almost everyone has heard this term, Green Party. Yet not a lot of people really know what it means. Basically, a Green Party is a political party that is organized formally and is based on the main principles of green politics. So what is green politics? Well, it is plainly a political ideology that gives high priority on environmental goals such as grassroots policy and also participatory democracy. There are a lot of people that are now supporting the Green Party movement because of the fact there is a growing awareness on the protection of the environment and also alleviating the effects of global warming. It has been around for so many years however, the past ten years or so, there has been increased number of followers of this type of party.

Green parties normally call for some sort of social reform in order to decrease the amount of abuse of all our natural resources. They are advocates of sustainable energy which calls for less reliance on oil which is not a renewable source of energy. Some of them have already made bills pass in the legislative bodies of their country in order to development sustainable energy resources. Green parties also focus on the health of the environment and also, of course, the human being. This is very important especially in today’s day and age because almost all our natural resources are being depleted because of capital gains and also because of basic human greed.

Green parties support non-violence. That is why a lot of them opposed the war of terrorism which was mainly supported by other parties. Because they adhere to the spirit of nonviolence, most green parties feel that the war on terrorism somehow curtailed the civil rights of people. In the United States, a country where there is a huge amount of support for the war on terrorism, green parties are now calling for an end to it. Although, a lot of people feel that they are taking it to a very extreme level, there is still a growing amount of people that support green parties.

In the United States there is an association that was created called The Green Party of the United States whose goals are similar to that of other green parties in the world. This particular party was created around ten years ago. Prior to the formation of the National Green Party, there were a lot of state affiliates and they were being recognized only state wide. The Association of State Green Parties became very popular when Ralf Nader ran for president in the 1996 and the 2008 elections, but unfortunately lost the elections.

The basic ideologies of the Green Party of the United States is diversity, peace, non-violence, and environmentalism. The good thing about this is that there is someone actually fighting for the betterment of the environment that people live in today. They are also advocates of sustainable energy, which is the creation of energy from renewable energy such as solar power, wind, and geothermal electricity. They are highly opposed to nuclear energy because it still has waste and radioactive waste is very difficult to get rid of.

Green parties today are gaining much more influence because more people are now supporting it. With the increased awareness of the current situation, more people are now following the principles of green parties. There are a lot of big companies that are now trying to become greener by creating products that can be recycled or reused and also by becoming much more efficient in their use of natural resources such as oil. Green parties however, do not like to get donations from big corporate companies because they feel that they will have to follow the business when creating their policies and also the things that they are fighting for. There are a lot people that are now trying to fight for the environment. Also, there are many influential people that are trying to recruit others to actually join the green movement. Supporters of green parties vary from different races, social backgrounds, nationalities and religion. Of course, you cannot discount the fact that there are many people that are oppose the Green Party.

In a society geared towards going “green”, this task can seem very overwhelming for the average person. The best way to “go green” is to take baby steps. Don’t try to do it all at once. There are very small changes you can make in your life that can make a big difference. There are many, very easy ways you can save energy. Below are some examples you can follow:

- A laptop uses a quarter of the power used by a desk top computer. If you shut down a home computer at night versus leaving it on and in sleep mode saves you $90 a year.
- A common stove uses the most electricity when it comes to cooking options. You can use a microwave, crock pot or toaster oven to use less electricity when cooking.
- If you wash your family’s laundry in cold water versus hot you can save up to 80% of the energy used to wash the clothes in hot water.
- If you insulate your hot water heater you can keep as many as 1,000 pounds of C02 a year from entering the atmosphere contributing to global warming. Also, turn your water heater down to 120.
-Installing a programmable thermostat that allows you to turn down the heat and air conditioning when no one is home or while the family is asleep can save the average family up to $150 a year.
- One word for going green in household cleaning – vinegar! Vinegar can clean out deposits in your coffee maker. A cup of vinegar will clean your washing machine, just run through a cycle without clothes.
- An easy way to save water is to change your shower head. Older shower heads can use 3 gallons of water a minute.
- Contaminants are brought into the house by the soles of shoes. Consider becoming a shoe free household. You can leave the shoes at the door and prevent a lot of environmental pollutants from entering your home.

You can take small steps that add up to big results to become a “greener” household.

We’ve all heard about them or seen them at work: they’re called “Wired Seniors.” They’re the ones who talk about sending emails to their great-grandchildren, they spend their money shopping online at stores like JRDunn.com or they create a facebook page to connect with their high school friends from the 1930s. They laugh at the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”And then there are the others, that portion of the elderly population who are simply afraid to try something new, or merely don’t see it as necessary. Some have reportedly said they are worried they’ll break something, and others have genuine privacy concerns. So is it worth it for senior citizens, particularly those who are well into their senior years, to learn to navigate the Internet? Well, there are two sides to that coin. For those who enjoy communicating, it certainly opens doors. Let’s face it: grandkids are more likely to send an email than a letter these days, because it’s the culture in which they’ve grown up. Also, many community centers and public libraries offer free courses for seniors to learn the internet from the very beginning, like, “What is a mouse?” It gives the elderly more independence by being able to do their own banking online and pay their own bills electronically.But there are downsides, too. Seniors are often the targets of scams and online financial predators. It’s not because they are any less savvy; it is because they are generally from a more trusting generation that they fall prey to these predators. Also, there’s something to be said about hearing the voice of a grandchild, or seeing the handwriting of a letter in the mail as opposed to email, which can appear cold in comparison.And then there are a third category of seniors: those older Americans who would like to get online to learn the ways of the new technological culture, but who don’t yet have access to broadband or high speed internet. Many of America’s rural residents have been told they won’t have high speed internet access until 2013.

Imagine a tiny baby, born four months too early, struggling for his life in a tiny incubator inside one of the nation’s Neonatal Intensive Care Units. He is one of thousands of babies born too early in the United States each year.  He is at greater risk for brain hemorrhages, blindness and developmental problems.  Since the lungs are the last part of the human body to develop inside the womb, it is respiratory problems that plague most of these fragile human beings.It’s often said that research can lead to life-saving medicines or procedures. In the case of preemie babies, the evidence of that is documented and easy to see.The March of Dimes, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for research on prematurity and how it can be prevented, funded research that resulted in the application of “Lung surfactant” in preemies.  Lung surfactant is the slimy substance on the lungs that allows them to open and close, pumping air in and out. It also happens to be one of the last things to form in the human body, so many preemies are born without it, unable to breathe.The research mentioned discovered that surfactant can actually be borrowed from calves and pigs and transplanted into premature human beings, allowing them to breathe.  These findings have led to hundreds, of not thousands of babies born as early of 25 weeks of gestation to live, whereas if they would have been born before this research was conducted, they would have had no chance of survival.This raises the question:  how involved should the US government be in allocating funding toward life-saving research like this?   To think of how money could directly impact the war on cancer, the fight to eradicate Alzheimer’s, and studies on the factors leading to Schizophrenia is a thought worth pondering.

It is always heartening to see humanitarian aid flow in from around the world shortly after a natural disaster strikes. Somehow, it is a comfort to those watching from their televisions thousands of miles away, to know that despite the fact that they can’t do much to help, help is nonetheless on its way.One of the most vivid examples of the outpouring of international humanitarian aid after a crisis was in the earthquake that rocked Haiti in January of 2010. Although it took a few days due to the obliterated infrastructure of Haiti’s roads and airports, help did arrive, with the United States leading the way. Many doctors unselfishly volunteered their skills and time, working with both the government and private groups. The money alone that Americans doled out of their pockets to organizations like The American Red Cross surpassed the expectations of many of the charities themselves.But what happens when the “shock factor” wears off in such a humanitarian crisis, as it always does? Who is left to pick up the pieces of reclaiming property, restructuring programs, and establishing a status quo again after all the foreigners leave?This task often belongs to the locals, despite the fact that their infrastructure has been demolished. Again, Haiti has been a classic example. Once the broken bones were set and the dead buried, many aid groups packed up and left. What remained for months upon months were enormous tent cities of refugees who now had a new way of life, completely different from before.Long-term strategic planning and rebuilding is something that should be added to humanitarian groups’ emergency response plans. If the USA and its humanitarian groups are going to give aid to its neighbors in crisis, as they rightly should, then they should ensure that the aid is best used by employing long-term solutions, not just quick-fixes.

The 52 words of the preamble to the US Constitution include the phrase “promote the general welfare” as one of the objectives for creating the Constitution. In today’s setup in Washington, D.C., however, the welfare of corporations is more of a priority than that of the general public.    The concentration of wealth, coupled with a lack of governmental regulation on corporations and their exchanges with lawmakers, has allowed corporations to amass power and control over the creation of law.  Although it is illegal for a corporation to donate directly to a federal candidate, the leaders of corporations get around this by hosting lavish fundraisers as individuals and inviting their wealthy colleagues to donate money to the candidate who is sympathetic to their cause.  Judicial rulings in recent years have only been more favorable to corporations when it comes to prorate political spending.  Now, instead of a government “Of the people, by the people and for the people,” it is one that is “of corporations, by corporations and for corporations.”  These shadowy power-mongers operate in backrooms and at expensive galas.  They exchange information through their devoted lobbyists, many of whom worked as lawmakers, or for a lawmaker immediately prior to becoming a lobbyist.  The connections are many, and the implications are even more abundant.  The stamp on “corporate welfare” came in the form of a bailout, when large financial institutions and auto manufacturers were propped up by taxpayer money.  Due to their lack of regulation, corporations are also given carte blanche over what they do to the planet, and its inhabitants.  When a corporation becomes so massive that it crosses dozens of national borders and has no real face, it becomes too powerful to hold to any real rules.  For the sake of true democracy, rule by the people, it is time for the United States to reevaluate what defines a corporation, and to establish laws that ensure these corporations do more good than they do harm.

Hermits may have no need for investment, but people who live in society have a duty to regularly and prudently invest in as many diverse instruments as they can. This helps a society establish itself on a strong economic footing because ultimately, it is your investment that forms the liquid capital with which a society carries out its various activities. Bonds are an important form of investment. People buy government bonds because of the security that they offer. Although bonds can yield less than other forms of investment like stocks, they provide steady income in the long run. That is why long term investors like to hedge their investments with bonds.

There are two types of bonds, municipal or muni bonds and BAB or Build America Bonds. Muni bonds vs BAB bonds is a hotly debated topic among investors. Municipal bonds usually come with tax exemption, although they yield less than BABs. BABs are issued by local and state governments, and the interest generated and accrued for bondholders is taxable. It is usual for BABs to attract foreign investment. Foreign investors are often more interested in BABs because of their high yield.

In society, investing in bonds is usually done by people of a certain economic status, the so-called middle class. People with a great deal of money often go for stocks or other riskier forms of investment. While society welcomes such risky investment to spur productive development and growth, people of lesser means are wise to hedge their investment bets. Unless you play it smart, you run the risk of becoming a burden to society if you lose big with a portfolio of stocks. Some people see stocks as formalized gambling where big risks can reap big rewards. However, it’s only those who can afford big loses who should attempt this kind of investment.

If you come across an elderly military veteran, ask him or her about how the American flag should be respected. More likely than not, you will hear details about decorum, folding, respect and etiquette. At one time in American history, the flag was the flag, and nothing more. It was flown on flagpoles and waved as a banner on the battlefield. It appeared in official American or military logos. But it was not a style icon as it is used today.This casual regard truly bothered some military veterans who fought for the freedoms the flag represented. To go to the mall and see teenage girls with patches of the US Flag draped over their derrieres, or to see it appear, in part, on children’s’ tattered shoes still makes some Americans shake their heads in disgust.One of the more touching signs of respect for the American flag was caught on a security camera in 2010, when a homeless man came across a flagpole that had crashed to the ground in a thunderstorm. The man retrieved the flag from the ground, and in the pouring rain, took time and great effort to fold it properly in its triangular shape.The liberties Americans are granted when it comes to the national flag makes visitors from some other nations shake their heads too, but for different reasons.Someone who has lived in mainland China under the People’s Republic of China finds it incredible that Americans have the right to “express” themselves by burning the flag, if they so choose.It’s hard to know what Betsy Ross, who legend says sewed the first American flag, would think about this. It may be easier to imagine what George Washington or Abraham Lincoln would have thought. The irony of using the freedoms granted by a nation symbolized by the very symbol you are effacing would likely make them shake their heads, too.

It’s surprising to some parents how their children can go to school and pick up bad words or bad habits. But what some parents have been completely shocked about is that their children have been picking up racism in schools.A study carried out by CNN in public schools across America tested both young elementary school children, and older, junior high children for racist tendencies. The results were stunning, especially to the children’s own parents. When young Caucasian girls were presented with pictures of five dolls, ranging from light skin tone to dark, they inevitably picked out the doll with light skin for having good traits, and the doll with the dark skin and being deviant.The same was true in reverse: African American children were more likely to choose lighter colored dolls as being mean or dishonest.When Americans start to think that they’ve come a long way regarding race, they are right. And yet, there is still a long way to go.It just takes one scenario like the 2010 spat between the NAACP and the Tea Party movement to see just how sensitive the topic of race still is in the US.For years, the trend was for parents to raise their children to be “color blind,” seeing other children, and people in general, for what they were on the inside, not the color of their skin.Nowadays, however, the term “color neutral” is preferred. That’s because if you ignore the issue of race completely, you’re not educating a child. You’re sweeping something under the rug that, to a child, is very obvious—people are different. Why not explain where the pigmentation comes from, and the histories of various peoples, so that there’s no ambiguity or fear on behalf of children when it comes to interacting with those who are different than them?

Working with children has always presented both its rewards and challenges. One of the most difficult, and controversial, aspects of working with kids in today’s society is discipline.Parents and teachers in the USA have made a move away from corporal punishment, or “spanking,” and toward reasoning with the misbehaving child. Non-violent methods of punishment now typically involve putting the child in “time out,” on the “Naughty Rug,” or taking away “benefits,” like a nighttime story or song.Parenting magazines and television shows like “Super Nanny” reinforce these tactics. Spanking, they say, teaches violence. In many schools across America today, the teacher or administrator will sit down with the child and ask the following questions: “What are the repercussions of your actions?” or “Do you think that was a good decision?”Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. Ultimately, the issue comes down to what is discipline, and what is abuse? And what impact does corporal punishment have on a child’s well-being?Family courts in the United States are beginning to frown upon corporal punishment as a form of discipline. Some courts define abuse as leaving a physical mark on the child. Some European nations like Sweden have outlawed corporal punishment in schools and homes for decades. In the United States, however, spanking is still entrenched in the culture of many regions and communities.Right now, wide discrepancy is given to parents to ultimately decide how to discipline their children. Parents who were themselves spanked as children are more likely to spank their own children. The danger lies in whenever a parent or teacher raises a hand or paddle to strike a child out of anger, not out of a sense of regimented discipline. That is the point at which the adult has lost control over the situation, and the point at which the child ultimately loses.

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The evolution of America’s newspaper press has seen good days and bad. It’s seen the rise of “Yellow Journalism,” in which sensationalism and tabloid headlines screamed of half-truths. It’s seen the much more respectable era of the Pentagon Papers and the investigative reporting that led to the unraveling of the Watergate scandal. To this day, politicians and leaders in the corporate world know their greatest watchdog is the nation’s media. And yet, the silent death of newspapers is imminent. It’s been a tough several years for the nation’s newspapers, both large and small. Furloughs, layoffs, and major reductions of staff have changed the face of the nation’s mainstream press. The main reason is a loss of subscriptions, due primarily to the Internet. The younger generation, for the most part, does not see the point in purchasing a hard copy of the newspaper when most papers publish a good portion of their content online. Old-timers lament the imminent loss of sitting down with a cup of coffee over the daily news. This loss of revenue has led to the shutting down of entire departments in some papers; in others, the pages have been reduced. Hardly a newspaper in the nation has the means to pay for investigative reporters anymore, because they require doing so much work “in the trenches” before ever producing a single story. What this means is a loss of one of America’s, and democracy’s, dearest friends: the newspaper. Other, more specific, publications have and will continue to pop up in their place. But the newspaper always had its eye on the community it served. When its pages are cut, and its staff are reduced, it cannot report on as wide a scope as it once did. For the larger newspaper, this means it cannot be as much of a watchdog as it once was.

Imagine if government only worked on the large scale—if the only people who cared about keeping an eye on their elected officials and making their country better did so just from within the boundaries of Washington, D.C.  What would happen is that the community structure on smaller governmental entities—counties, cities and regions—would fail to thrive as they do now. In fact, what keeps America’s communities successful is talented, educated leaders who choose to make a difference on the small scale. It’s the pastor in a rural country church who oversees the only Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in a 100 mile radius. It’s the schoolteacher who has made it her goal to eradicate illiteracy among adults in her town. It’s the network of hospitals and clinics that join together in a city to say, “We are not waiting on the federal government: we are going to make a difference in getting health care to those who cannot afford it.” The Green Party has always believed that change, and thus government, starts at home, on the small scale. That’s because each community knows it people better than any outsider ever will.  Local grant-making initiatives are likely to go to the places that need the money most. Individuals volunteering in a community are likely to spend their time where helps is needed most.  While communities no doubt benefit from outside forces;federal and state grants, the services of national watchdog agencies, and more;the true power still rests in the hands of locals. It’s everyday workers, parents, and retirees who can make a difference in making their communities better. And if that is done in communities across the nation, it completely revolutionizes the need for jobs traditionally provided by the federal and state governments. In the end, the people on the ground who know their communities are likely to pour more passion into making their areas better, because it’s ultimately helping the people and places they have come to know and love.

There are of course similarities between the economic recession that blanketed the US economy in 2009 and the Great Depression of the 1930s. The stock market took a beating. Unemployment was prevalent in families and communities across the nation. Food, fuel and livestock became almost unbearably expensive, causing folks to turn to conserving and rationing their food and transportation.Yet, historians will balk at comparing the economic recession of the recent times to the Great Depression. To understand why, they say we have to rewind the clock two or three generations.During the Great Depression, a staggering one in four Americans was out of work. Parents who had little income in the city couldn’t afford to feed their children. They sent the kids off to live with relatives in the country who could use their help on the farm. Soup kitchens and bread lines became iconic symbols of need. Families would store fresh potatoes under hay to preserve them throughout an entire winter. Compare that to the modern-day recession, when the worst of times saw the unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent. So far, stories of children being shipped off to live with relatives in the country have not become commonplace. While food pantries have seen their number of patrons rise significantly, the middle class still goes primarily to the grocery store to get their groceries.It’s not an act of disrespect toward those who struggled through the Great Depression to compare these difficult times to theirs. Also, it’s not intended to lessen the significance of the hardships faced by Americans these days to say the two cannot be compared.But a bit of perspective never hurt anybody. Perhaps today’s generation has gotten a dose of empathy, even respect for the ancestors who proceeded, and who waded through much rougher waters than we today can imagine.

There are of course similarities between the economic recession that blanketed the US economy in 2009 and the Great Depression of the 1930s. The stock market took a beating. Unemployment was prevalent in families and communities across the nation. Food, fuel and livestock became almost unbearably expensive, causing folks to turn to conserving and rationing their food and transportation.Yet, historians will balk at comparing the economic recession of the recent times to the Great Depression. To understand why, they say we have to rewind the clock two or three generations.During the Great Depression, a staggering one in four Americans was out of work. Parents who had little income in the city couldn’t afford to feed their children. They sent the kids off to live with relatives in the country who could use their help on the farm. Soup kitchens and bread lines became iconic symbols of need. Families would store fresh potatoes under hay to preserve them throughout an entire winter. Compare that to the modern-day recession, when the worst of times saw the unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent. So far, stories of children being shipped off to live with relatives in the country have not become commonplace. While food pantries have seen their number of patrons rise significantly, the middle class still goes primarily to the grocery store to get their groceries.It’s not an act of disrespect toward those who struggled through the Great Depression to compare these difficult times to theirs. Also, it’s not intended to lessen the significance of the hardships faced by Americans these days to say the two cannot be compared.But a bit of perspective never hurt anybody. Perhaps today’s generation has gotten a dose of empathy, even respect for the ancestors who proceeded, and who waded through much rougher waters than we today can imagine.

The right of Americans to vote came in waves: it did not originally belong to all Americans. It was withheld from millions on account of their skin color or gender. But now, the right is there for all who hold the status of citizens.
Yet, whenever Election Day rolls around, only a fraction of those in the world’s superpower cast ballots.
Why is this? In fledgling democracies like Iraq, illiterate widows and poor farmers risk their lives by going to polling places which have in the past been a prime target for bombings. They proudly dip their thumbs in ink and show the world they made their voices heard in government that day.
In the country like Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, pro-democracy activists like Aung San Suu Kyi risk house arrest, imprisonment or torture with every speech they make. In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has been reelected so many times by a reported percentage of nearly 100 percent that he has now ruled longer than several Pharaohs.
What the people in these nations wouldn’t give for true representation of the people in government. It is likely perplexing to America’s troops engaged in warfare overseas that so many of their family members back home don’t take the time to vote.But what really happens when that right is taken for granted on such a wide scale? Someone else inevitably fills the gap. The entity that takes the place of grassroots voters, however, has an entirely different face than an individual walking into a ballot booth and casting his or her vote.
Special interest groups thrive where voters are dormant and nonchalant. Corporations and forces that crave power see a non-voting population as an opportunity. Power must always rest with someone. If the power is not in the hands of the voters—and it’s virtually impossible to be when hardly a fifth of all Americans vote regularly—then it will certainly surface in the hands of someone, or something, else.

It’s long been recognized that when money isn’t abundant and when markets are unstable, people revert to more basic ways of living. They rely on what they can trust.
During the nation’s recent economic downturn, when food costs were at an all-time high, many Americans turned to the wisdom and frugality of their grandparents. They started planting gardens again. Some even tried out canning and preserving food.In many appliance repair stores across the United States, salespeople couldn’t keep the canning utensils on the shelves.
Canning classes popped up in community centers from rural Missouri to New York City. People who had never planted a seed suddenly found themselves growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. Some communities began “community gardens,” where a plot of land is used by several neighbors for planting and reaping their own fruit and vegetables.
One detail that was almost lost in the fray was that some of the new gardeners and canners mentioned their grandparents when talking about their new hobbies. It was “grandmother’s canner” that was responsible for the stocked pantry one man remembered as a child. It was grandfather’s steady stream of potatoes and squash that saw one family through the winter.Some family stories that emerged from new canners and gardeners have dated back to the Great Depression, when self-sustaining families in the country were among those who hurt the least, since they had their gardens and animals to rely on for food.
It was a humbling experience for the young; it was a rewarding sense of validation for the old.
It’s worth accepting from all this that generations from the past had some things today’s generation doesn’t: a tried and true system of growing and sustaining their own food source. They trusted and respected the land they relied on, and in return, the Earth provided everything they needed.

Just two generations ago, families were much more likely to cook their own food, and make meals from scratch. The culture of drive-through windows, two-income households, and “quick and easy” meals that has developed has had a direct impact on the health of Americans.
Interestingly, when the economy turns south, people tend to head back into their kitchens and pick up a utensil or two. Cooking at home generally is healthier and lower in calories than eating out. However, even people who pride themselves in cooking meals at home tend to use mixes and pre-packaged kits for their kitchen masterpieces. So why is even that bad for a person’s health?
Well, experts say mixes and pre-packaged meals are known for being stocked with preservatives, additives and often, hidden fats. When they become a part of a person’s lifestyle, they add up to two words: poor nutrition.
Also, recipe books have come to reflect restaurant-sized portions. Today’s average recipe contains more calories than the cookbooks from just a generation ago.
And that’s just for folks who are cooking at home. Factor into that fold the millions of Americans who rely on fast food at least once a day for their quick-fix of hunger, and you’ve got a nation on the fast-track to serious obesity and diabetes epidemics.
Needless to say, the cultural pendulum will need to swing back in the other direction to remedy the situation. There are signs that this has already begun: fast food restaurants have begun to offer healthier options on their menus. Most include something grilled as well as fried, and salads abound.
Magazines that specialize in low-calorie, low-fat recipes have taken to publishing to the masses.
All of this is a start. If the people of the United States do not curb their “supersized” appetites and “super-busy” lifestyles, then dire health, economic and cultural ramifications are not far down the road.

Gone are the days of immigrants standing aboard a fog-encompassed ship and seeing, for the first time, Lady Liberty welcoming them to American shores. The idea of America as the “Immigrant Nation” has slowly slipped below the horizon as generations have became more entrenched in this land over the years.

Today, the immigrants who seek American shores are less visible, yet their quiet stories are no less remarkable. The suburbs of Atlanta bear testimony to the refugees who have fled war-torn central Africa in search of stability and safety for their children. In Missouri, political asylum-seekers from Burma are enjoying their newfound freedom to worship how they choose. And parents in India, Saudi Arabia and Thailand hope for the dream of their children being able to get an American education, still the best in the world.

It has morphed from an Irish immigrant opening his new blacksmith shop in Virginia to a young Venezuelan starting her own online company. Whereas it used to include a long ship ride that ended with standing in line to have papers stamped, it now includes more red tape, and a more arduous process of trudging through paperwork. And it’s no longer as accessible: becoming an American now requires having a family member who’s already a citizen, or a compelling reason like religious persecution or threat to safety.

Perhaps one of the most dramatic things to happen in the United States each week goes relatively unnoticed by the general population: immigrants who have come to the USA for a plethora of reasons take their assigned seats in a federal courthouse, their family members behind them in the general seating. They rise to their feet, and in their own respective accents, repeat the oath of citizenship of the United States of America in the English language. Tears fall. Clapping ensues. Smiles abound.

Although many of them are not familiar with the minute details of American history, including the Mayflower ship, most new citizens are aware that they are carrying on a long-standing tradition. Ask them if they believe the United States is still an immigrant nation, and they will certainly respond, “Yes.”

In the United States, society revolves around individuals upholding common goals while individually pursuing happiness. While it’s good for people to do what’s best for themselves, there are times when they must also look at what’s best for those around them. Certain issues hold more precedence over others, and usually these include things that can endanger human life. When this happens, the government may pass a law to ensure all citizens work toward the common goal. One example of this is auto insurance.

If you plan to own or drive a car, auto insurance can ensure you’re looking after the good of your fellow man. Having insurance is important because it covers not only you but anyone involved if you have an accident. Consider for a moment a person who has insurance. On a rainy day, this individual loses control of his car. He hits a woman walking down the street, smashes the car into a building, and injures a passenger in the car. Through his auto insurance policy, he has coverage for the bodily harm done to the pedestrian and the passenger. He can also use his insurance to pay for repairs to his car.

Compare this to a person without auto insurance. Assume the same accident happens. Without insurance, he’s personally liable for the harm done to the pedestrian and the passenger. Even if these people don’t want to sue the driver, they may have no choice. Medical bills can be expensive, especially if an injury is severe. Unless the person has deep pockets, he may lose everything he has: his home, his business, and any other assets. Plus, he may face jail time for failing to abide by the law.

Sometimes you can’t prevent an accident, but you can do what’s necessary to ensure you’re a responsible member of society.

Since the days of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams slinging mud back and forth in the nation’s early media, Americans have valued and fiercely protected the freedom of the press. Scorned have been the nations and dictators who have suppressed and censored the journalists and newspapers of their peoples.

In recent years, however, Americans have come to embrace a form of self-censorship that has some of the same effect as government-controlled media.

One television network prides itself as being the voice of conservative America, while maintaining the slogan of being completely
objective and non-partisan. Another network leans left, hoping for the riders of the other train to jump on board. Most leading newspapers are now known for which slant they take politically.

The concern is that Americans are not tuning into hear the news; they are tuning into hear the statistics, stories and voices that support what they want to hear.

In a way, this mirrors the behavior of a dictator who fears losing a grip on power. In most countries throughout the Middle East, for example, the government controls the media. Thus, the front page of the newspaper contains a complimentary report about the president, every day of the year.

What results when this happens is that information is stifled. A plurality of ideas never surfaces, and each side gets more and more boxed in. It’s well known that when a person is making an important decision, he or she should weigh all options first. Today, however, it is less likely than ever that Americans can rely on one news outlet to bring a well-rounded scope of an election or other news event.

The man who established the world’s first school of journalism, Walter Williams, wrote in his Journalist’s Creed that the “suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.” Today’s media can learn a lesson from the masters of old-school journalism and, once again, report all angles of all stories.

The population of the United States is growing, and so is the number of people over the age of 65. The Green Party desires to stand up for those senior citizens who feel like the government doesn’t understand their needs. As the Green Party fights for seniors rights, the Green Party will make things better for all senior citizens.

As this population of senior citizens ages, exercises, eats better, and takes better medications, it will increase exponentially. This population will live longer than the previous generation. The result will be more and more senior citizens who need to be cared for, and assisted living is an option that must be carefully considered.

There are a couple of approaches to assisted living. In-home care allows a caregiver to live in the home of the person needing assistance. Another option is nursing-home care. This allows a person who is disabled to live in a full-care environment while maintaining partial independence.

In either case, assisted living leads to better health. Disabled people require attention and care, generally in at least two areas of daily living.

Just as good health requires maintenance, so do assisted living facilities. If the health and well-being of an aging population is to be maintained, funding to support assisted living programs must be developed. States may encourage investment in assisted living programs by offering tax cuts to business communities.

Better overall mental and physical health for people should be one of the primary goals of every community’s leadership. This includes making allowances for the elderly. If the elderly and the disabled are forced to leave the communities where younger families are living, the natural relationship of young and old will unravel. Careful attention to the needs of the elderly will help to maintain familial relationships between generations.

One of the hidden downsides of unemployment comes as a surprise to many: depression. Whenever a nation goes through an economic slump, the spirits of the people tend to mirror those numbers. For many, losing a job is enough of a shock to the system and to one’s self-esteem to trigger depression. Add to that the stress of needing to provide for a family, the rejection of job applications, and mounting bills, and it’s a wonder that someone who’s been unemployed for several months is able to mount a smile at all.

Experts say it’s something to watch out for. They also say it’s something that can be dealt with, and to a degree, prevented.
One thing for the job-hunter to keep in mind is: unemployment is temporary. It will eventually end. In the meantime, mind, body and soul must be kept healthy so that when employment does resume, the worker is ready to hit the workforce again.
One way to prevent depression from creeping up is to exercise regularly. Whether it’s a walk in the park or a game of tennis with a friend, getting the heart rate up is a huge factor in fighting depression from creeping in.

Another thing experts recommend is volunteering. Since most unemployed are home anyway, they tend to have extra time on their hands. Volunteering serves a dual purpose: it fills a void in the volunteer’s heart, and serves a purpose in the community.
While it might be easy to stay in pajamas when there’s no office to go in to, it’s more likely that a person is going to feel like a bum if he or she is dressing like one, even at home. Self-grooming is an important part of feeling mentally stimulated during bouts of unemployment.

Despite the fact that it’s a time of struggle, those who view the period of unemployment as an opportunity to grow will be the most successful in keeping depression at bay.

The combination of a high society lifestyle and a budget might sound impossible, but it’s not. You don’t have to be rich to live well. You can actually live much more comfortably if you’re frugal. That way you have money available to spend on the things you want without breaking the bank. When you just spend without any kind of budgeting, you waste a lot of money that you could have used for things that you really like and that you really want to do. Don’t assume that all of your high society friends really have a lot of money, either. They might just have learned the secret to budgeting well.

When you see them out shopping, are you sure that they aren’t using a prepaid credit card so they don’t overspend? Of course, you’re not. It’s not something that shows. The same is true of people who spend money while they’re out but don’t spend it at home. That doesn’t mean that they don’t live in a nice place, but they might do things a bit differently. They may have only a cell phone and no landline. They may also not have cable TV or Internet. What’s the point of having those things if you’re not home to use them? If you’re always out after work, living it up, you can do without cable and Internet at your house.

As you settle into the high society lifestyle, you’ll find that there are little tricks and tips you can use in order to live quite well and not actually spend that much money. You don’t have to make a production out of it. Just quietly be frugal but fun, and no one will likely notice that you’re not spending as much as you could be. Your friends are probably doing the same things with their budgets, as well.

It’s impossible to find two people–whether husband and wife, brother and sister, or two best friends–who think exactly the same on every issue. Even if two people were raised in the same town, attend the same church, synagogue or mosque, and have similar personality traits and values, they will inevitably disagree on something.

So, too, are people who fall under the same political party. No two members of the Green Party believe exactly the same on every detail of every issue. No two members of the Republican Party hold the exact same values and ideas as each other. Two Democrats will envision different scenarios and details in how they would handle a crisis in policy.

Political parties walk a fine line in allowing for this individuality. While they want members to feel like they identify with the principles of the party, they don’t want to appear to be a dictator telling the people what they are to believe. Most importantly, though, political party leaders know that the real threat is in a fractured identity.

The question is: how does a political party permit breathing space while still keeping the herd corralled? Traditionally, when a party tries to overreach its bounds, it ends up trying to appease the crowds. In doing so, it loses what attracted voters to it in the first place: a strong cause and slogan.

What is it that ties a particular party together—what values, causes and themes? If a party is to change, it needs to have a clear mandate from its members before doing so. Otherwise, its demise is almost certain.

After the 2008 presidential election, the Republican Party found itself splintered in terms of identity. In the years since, it has strived to reevaluate what the ties that bind actually are. Therein, party leaders know, lies their only hope of revival and perhaps, survival.

Making money and investing it properly can be difficult when the economy is struggling. That doesn’t mean that money can’t be made or investments aren’t worthwhile – but it does mean that you’ll need to be more careful. With careful investing in mind, what should you put your money into? One of the safest choices appears to be precious metals. Gold, silver, platinum and other types of metals are worth investing in because they don’t lose their value in the same way that stocks and other types of investments can. That doesn’t mean they’ll always go up in value, but they do appear to do well as a long-term strategy in contrast to other investment options.

If you plan to buy silver, there are several ways you can do it. You can actually purchase bars of the metal, or you can invest in futures. When you do this, you’re basically betting on what the price of silver will be in the future. This takes a lot of careful study to understand correctly. If you plan to invest in silver by working with futures, get a good investment adviser or use a very reputable Website. Also, do your research so you have an understanding of what people are telling you or what you’re seeing as options when you make a choice about buying a precious metal.

If you choose to buy actual bars or coins of silver, you can also do that. You’ll need a safe place to store them, and they can get quite heavy. Most people don’t buy the bars because of that reason – but there’s no reason you can’t purchase silver that way if you really want to. Just make sure you have a safety deposit box or a safe in your home where you can store and secure your investment.

Whether you live in a mansion in Florida or one of the Atlanta condos, it’s easy to see that the economy is tightening for everyone. In an unstable economy, people seek out stable investments. However, with the stock market losing points weekly, it’s hard to find a stable stock to invest your money in. The Green Party desires to help stabilize the economy but needs our help. We must vote for the Green Party and give money to support Green Party candidates. We can help out the Green party by investing in silver.

Instead, more and more people are purchasing silver.When you purchase silver, you’re buying an asset that will hold it’s value. Silver coins or jewelry can be stored in your home or safe deposit box, and their value is not dependent on the stock market. Even during the Great Depression, precious metals held their value. If you’re looking for an alternative to keeping large amounts of cash on hand, purchasing silver may be the way to go. As it increases in value, its cash exchange rate will go up. If the stock market collapses, you’ll still have a valuable asset to barter or trade for goods and services. In fact, silver coins are likely to hold their value even more effectively than the dollar, over a long period of time.

If you’re tired of worrying about which stock to put your money in today, for fear of losing your money tomorrow, it may be time to step out of the stock market game. Instead, follow the advice of the Kentucky Greens and invest your hard earned cash in precious metals, such as gold and silver. These items are likely to hold their value over time, and will likely increase in value. Purchasing silver allows you to put your money to work for you, instead of sitting around helplessly, wondering if it will disappear in the stock market. Consider investing in silver or gold today.

Online sports betting, such as mlb betting,  is considered one of the fastest growing businesses across the world. The Green Party wants to help us use this online betting system better. Unlike other political parties that want to ban online sports betting, the Green Party thinks online sport betting is a fun way to make a little extra cash.

Sports betting is deep rooted in almost all the cultures of civilizations. It is considered the art of predicting in advance the result of a game. And for this a wager or bet is placed on the result of a particular sports event which is specified.

Sports betting is the activity of predicting in advance the result of sports event and putting a gamble or wage on the result of the event. If the result is in the favor of a person then he or she wins the bet and if the result is not same as the prediction then he or she lose in the bet.

Like gambling and another form of it, the universal receipt and legitimacy of sport betting varies according to different nations. In some countries it is legal but in some other countries sports betting is not legal. In the countries where sports betting are legal, the reason is being they want to raise the interest of people in particular sports event as a hobby. It will be of great benefit to teams, players and leagues. The bet is placed by television audience and higher attendances.

Those sports bettors who are professional in this field can generate a higher income through betting on sports instruction events. It is generally performed by bookmakers. Bookmaker shops which provide towards experts basically have no or higher great betting restrictions and lowers vigorish. You can withdraw some of your money back by charged by a minimum fee.

You can get many different options from sports books because they are in rivalry with each other. Online books of sport are very much friendly, very efficient and very safe. Anyone can take advantage from as sports books provide you many great incentives.

After the economic collapse, the Green Party has been fighting to help improve mortgage rates for all. Finally, in the morass of home mortgage difficulty, we may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  This light at the end of tunnel is due to the Green Party’s ideas. As of July 10, 2010, 30-year mortgage loan rates fell to 4.57 percent, which is rock-bottom—there hasn’t been a rate so low since the 1950’s.

Financial Times writer Susan Kapner called the new mortgage lows “a gift”, but it’s one that most Americans have yet to accept. If you’ve been interested in any part of the real estate market, you can take advantage of the low mortgage loan rates now.

What this means to you as a homebuyer is that this is the best time since the 1950’s to buy a home or take out a second mortgage. Due to the fact that demand for new housing has been so low, a buyer has his or her choice of new houses. If you’ve been considering trading up, there may not be a better time.

Consequently, if you’re shopping for your first home, your situation is even better. You can combine the low mortgage rates with a first-time home buyer’s grant of up to $15,000. Buying now greatly increases the quality and quantity of homes that match your budget.

This mortgage loan rate dip is also good news for homeowners. If you’ve been considering taking out a second mortgage, this is an excellent time.

An even better idea is to use this mortgage rate windfall to purchase an investment property—a second home, a rental unit, even a promising commercial property. Demand for home loans has been low, but demands for rental homes have held steady. And since the mortgage will continue at its low rate even as the economy picks up, a property bought today will yield returns at a higher rate when the economy regains its rosy outlook.

If you are looking for the best deals possible, then look no further than DailyDeals.com. DailyDeals.com is a website that searches to find you the best daily deals on the Internet. The deals may vary daily, although one can find a deal on virtually anything – from antiques to shoes to clothing. “Deal” websites lists various links, specials, discounts, coupon or promo codes that can be used at various retailers. By using one of these valuable deal websites, you can fully utilize all the best deals on the web, without expending much time or effort.

If you have ever tried to find coupon codes or discount codes for specific retailers on the internet by yourself, then you know how time consuming this process is. Of course, there are a lot of bargain sites, so one must choose a website carefully. Each day you can find deals which can save you up to 70% off the retail price of items you need and want, but it is important to find a website that is comprehensive. There are thousands upon thousands of deals to be had and it is best that you find a website that caters to your needs before you decide to bookmark a website in your “internet favorites”.
Of course, bookmarking a website is just the beginning – you need to check the website daily. If you are not up to date, you may miss a golden opportunity for “your” deal of a lifetime. So, let websites like dailydeals.com do the work for you. Let this website find you the most up to date steals and deals on the web. Who knows, one day the deal may be70% off at JOS A. Bank. The next day, you may find a deal for 50% off of Adidas. Check now and check often, after all, that is the best value shoppers do.

The housing market has been shaky with interest rates changing quickly, increased foreclosures, and a struggling economy. Unknown to many, the Green Party has been fighting for the consumer’s rights and to restore the economy.

You’re ready to proceed to buy a new home, but want to make certain of what you can afford before walking into a real estate office. You’re financially responsible and don’t want to extend yourself past your comfort zone. You need a way to calculate your new housing expenses with your monthly income. Try an affordability calculator to ease your concerns and set your budget within safe parameters. There’s no guessing and no complex math to do. It’s just a simple calculator that prompts you for some basic information and does all the math for you.

Whether you are looking to purchase a new home, refinance the home you own, or establish a home equity loan to do repairs or additions, a home mortgage calculator will help. This simple-to-use application factors in several variables to determine your personal financial situation. It uses your total monthly income, how much debt you owe, what kind of down payment you can afford, and other factors. The calculator looks at PMI costs and taxes to get a keen view of your situation.

Calculating your finances will get you one step closer to starting the adventure of a lifetime. Painting walls any color you please, installing tile instead of carpet, or making the garage into a rec room for the kids are options you have when you own your home. Whatever your dream home might be, start on the path to achieving that dream by giving your finances a check-up. Want to flip houses and make a tidy sum as you ready a fixer-upper for sale? Use the calculator to see what kind of property you can afford to purchase.

Knowledge is power; don’t sit in a real estate office without knowing where you stand financially.

With the fall of the stock market in 2001 and then the decline of the real estate market, many investors have turned to investing in precious metals including gold and silver. Precious metals are a tangible investment that can be kept for many years and increase in value even as the US dollar’s value falls.

Silver is a very common metal to invest in. You can get silver bars and coins, which you can keep in a safe or at your bank within a safe deposit box. One thing to realize when choosing to invest in silver is the price of silver is volatile. Recently, the price of silver has risen because of the interest of investors to invest in metals. Because the supply of silver is limited, the prices have risen. In 2000, the price was $4.05/ozt (which is a troy ounce, which is commonly used to weigh precious metals). In 2009, the price rose to $14.67/ozt. If interest in precious metals declines, so will the prices.

Traditionally, investing in silver has meant purchasing silver bullion bars. These bars are often minted stating how much they weigh and their purity (typically .999). In some places, including Switzerland, you can actually purchase silver bars at major banks. You can buy bars in many different weights from 1000 ozt to 1 oz. The second most popular method for buying silver is buying silver coins.

If you aren’t interested in holding onto silver (because of theft, for example), then you can purchase silver certificates, which are used as proof of ownership. Some banks, mostly Swiss, offer silver accounts where the money in the account represents a quantity of silver owned.

If you are considering investing in silver, do your research. Although precious metals may be more stable than stocks, it’s still an ever-changing market with its ups and downs. It’s best to plan on investing long-term since prices typically increase over time.

If you have been thinking about taking on a rental property or two, you no doubt have an idea about all of the horror stories. People will give you sob stories to try to get in (or get in without having to pay a security deposit), and then do serious damage to your property. They will set a fire in the living room because they do not want to pay the gas bill, or they will decide they no longer want to have a wall “over there,” and just take a sledge hammer to it. Or they will decide that they want to paint satanic murals all over the walls, and throw their used condoms in the corner, and let their dog do its business wherever it pleases.

It’s almost enough to make you just want to put your money in a mutual fund and say to heck with it. But don’t let the horror stories get you discouraged.

There are professionals who are trained to handle situations of this nature. While a lot of people will tell you that property management is just “a waste of money,” those are people who see their rental properties as a job that they have to do themselves. But these same people will often hire somebody to put on a new roof, or to install new electrical systems (known in the business as “stuff”). Everybody chooses to outsource something, at some point. If we didn’t, the situation would quickly turn insane, and insanely difficult.

While a good property manager is going to charge you a percentage of the rents, this is a percentage that buys you a very valuable commodity – free time. You do not have to run the backgrounds of your potential tenants, nor do you have to schedule interviews with them. In fact, you don’t even have to meet them at all.