"I had always hoped for a nice, quiet, country setting where we could raise our children. Little did I know it would be the cause of unexplained illnesses and heartache.
In 2004, my husband Mike and I found this quiet little cul-de-sac in the small town of Clarke, Texas, now known as DISH. At the time there were only two homes built, so we met with the builder and picked what we thought was the perfect lot. Just beyond the back fence there stood a single natural gas compressor station.
Mike and I never really gave it any thought. We just assumed the trees would block any unsightly compressors. We never thought about any emissions. After our home was built in 2005 it seemed just perfect, we couldn't be happier. After a few months, though, it seemed that every time we turned around they were building another compressor station to move the natural gas locked beneath us in the Barnett Shale."
Read the entire article by Megan Collins at http://www.earthworksaction.org/voices/detail/dish_texas
"When hog farms transformed Eastern North Carolina in the 1980s and early '90s, we were unprepared for the changes in water and air quality that followed. Only later, when pigs numbered 10 million or more, did legislators enact environmental safeguards such as 1995's Swine Farm Siting Act and 1997's Clean Water Responsibility Act.
Today our legislators are considering shale-gas extraction using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (or "fracking"), in which pressurized water and chemicals are injected underground to crack open the shales that hold the gas. Fracking is illegal in North Carolina, and the legislature has to decide if it's appropriate for our state and how to regulate it.
Before North Carolina dives whole hog into shale gas, we should learn from our past and put safeguards into place for public health and the environment - in case drilling starts."
Read the entire article at http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/07/10/1330370/swine-and-shale-gas-lessons-for.html#storylink=misearch
"Regular politics in Washington now resembles an ecological dead zone where truth perishes in a polluted environment. Democrats and Republicans shadowbox over their concocted fiscal crisis, neither willing to tell voters the truth, both eager to avoid blame for the damage they are doing to the country.
Out in the streets, meanwhile, the contrast with brain-dead politics is exhilarating. In Occupy Wall Street, we are witnessing a rare event—the birth of a social movement. Ordinary people are engaging in sustained grassroots protest against the political order and against citizens’ exclusion from the decision-making that governs their lives. They seek to rearrange the distribution of power, and they are doing so by injecting a creative, often playful vitality that has been missing in our decayed democracy."20 customers, including children, were hurt in the 10:10 p.m. incident, officials said. Shoppers complained of minor skin and eye irritation and sore throats….The woman used the spray in more than one area of the Walmart “to gain preferred access to a variety of locations in the store,” said Los Angeles Fire Capt. James Carson.“She was competitive shopping,” he said.
"The name Plaid Friday celebrates the diversity and creativity of independent businesses. Plaid Friday is the fun and enjoyable alternative to the big box store "Black Friday", and is designed to promote both local and independently owned businesses during the holidays.
Plaid Friday was conceptualized in Oakland, CA, a city known for strong shop local campaigns. Plaid Friday brings back the neighborly nostalgic times when shopping for friends and family was a pleasurable leisurely activity.
Celebrate by wearing plaid while shopping at participating businesses on Friday, November 25th. Look for the special plaid placards at your local shops. Many of theses businesses are offering specials during Plaid Friday. Go to the participating businesses page to 
find out more."
More info athttp://www.plaidfriday.com/
"Mr. President, Over 4,000 peaceful protesters have been arrested. While Banksters continue to destroy the economy. You MUST stop the assault on our 1st amendment rights. Your silence sends a message that police brutality is acceptable."
Shortly after the mic check, @OccupyNH tweeted that Democrats are guilty of aiding the 1%.
