U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, a candidate for the Republican nomination for S.C. governor, issued a news release asking Gov. Mark Sanford "to fight the Obama administration's decision to transfer up to 10 suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to Charleston."

"Earlier today, I learned that President Obama intends to transfer terrorists from the detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Naval Brig in Charleston. This decision is deeply disturbing and jeopardizes the safety and security of countless families in South Carolina and across the country."

One of the most baffling politicians for me has been Joe Lieberman. Lieberman was a Democrat until 2006 when he ran as an independent and defeated the Democratic nominee for the Senate in Connecticut. During the 2008 elections, he had spoken in the Republican convention and campaigned for the Republican nominee John McCain. There was talk among Democrats after the 2008 elections of stripping Lieberman of the chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is responsible for assuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Government, and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Air Land Forces. Barack Obama, though, wanted a fresh start with no animosity towards those opposed to him, so Lieberman was treated kindly by the incoming new administration.

There's going to be a new movie coming out about the Teabag Express that is winding its way across America, talking to regular Americans that are upset about the direction of our country. Apparently they weren't very concerned when George W. Bush was in office, but boy, are they mad now.

They're upset that President Obama has raised their taxes, even though he lowered taxes for 95% of Americans. They're upset that the Democrats are about to pass health care reform because its going to kill grandma and grandpa, even though that is not part of the legislation.

Teabaggers just seem to be upset in general. Brad Friedman of Bradblog.com went to talk to some of the protesters in California, where the Teabag Express II is starting its new tour across America, but only to red districts apparently.

Listen to some of the brilliance displayed by the teabaggers. I am so impressed by their intelligence and thoughtfulness. They really seem to know what they're talking about.

People frequently ask me, "Larry, what can I/we do to help a homeless person?" Or, "What can I/we do to make a real difference in the life of a 'poor' person?"

Often, folks are looking for up close and personal moments, times that are very difficult to "arrange" without the loss of dignity or authenticity.

Almost universally, though, those who ask about what they can do, really mean it. People want to do something. They seek tangible involvement. They want to look back and be able to say, at a minimum, "I did it!" Defining the "it" is the challenge!

Well, here is something you, your family (possibly as part of an alternative Christmas giving approach), your business, your civic club, your Sunday School or Sabbath School class, your fraternity or sorority can actually do...

Date: August 25, 2009

In an effort to put hundreds of steelworkers back to work and to capitalize on a potential steel market resurgence, ArcelorMittal has offered a third, and final, Layoff Minimization Plan proposal.

In a letter to USW Local 7898 members, union president James Sanderson says the company has drawn the line.

In this cross-post from the Huffington Post, Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, describes why the deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections.

The deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections. That's why airline CEOs are working so hard to defend current election procedures that count all workers who sit out elections as "no" votes.

Americans are accustomed to elections where a simple majority of those voting decides the outcome—whether they're voting for PTA president or U.S. senator. Not so for airline and railroad workers—who must first ensure that turnout exceeds 50 percent. How can we justify imposing higher turnout standards on airline and railroad union elections than we do in elections for the highest office of our land? We can't.

Hello Everyday Citizens. As we are nearing close to National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, I am eager to let you know of all the great campaigns and programs that are full gear to help fight homelessness among youth!

We are spotlighting Virgin Mobile in partnership with one of Hip Hop's greatest Rap groups of all time, Public Enemy, to give a concert in Washington, D.C. to help homeless youth stay warm this coming month.

Hello Everyday Citizens. November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, so I've decided to dedicate 3 weeks of my blogs to honoring this month. Last month was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I dedicated my personal blog to spotlighting many programs and people that were working to shed light on the epidemic that has engulfed our society.

Starting today, I am going to be continuously blogging and shedding light on the homeless youth in America. From economic difficulties, people, programs, and even organizations that are working to end homelessness in this country. I hope you enjoy " The Homeless Diaries Series!"

According to Change.org, "Today, many homeless individuals and families are taking shelter in storage units."

According to Christian Newswire, " The 71 represents the percentage of Americans who oppose taxpayer funded abortions in healthcare according to national polls."

Ummmmm....

The activists will be in front of the White House on October 31st, 2009 at 12:00pm

This is the second post in a series about the science and societal impacts of the flu and flu vaccination. Specifically, I emphasize the importance of sound scientific literacy in understanding this important topic. Please read the first post in the series if you missed it.
Is the Swine Flu Vaccine Safe?

Vaccines can be really scary and intimidating, so I completely understand if you're nervous; but your doctor, the news, and the public health departments advise you to get vaccinated. Today, I address the question on many people's minds:

Do I really need to get the Swine Flu Shot?

What I'm hearing from many people is "I’ll be fine. I don’t think I need the Swine Flu or Seasonal Flu vaccine." Perhaps. But think about this way: How can your body fight a disease-causing germ it has never come into contact with?

After having knee surgery on Friday, I was unsure whether or not I would be able to make it to the Steve Martin concert at the Meyerson on Tuesday night. As the day grew closer, I began to regret not purchasing tickets. I grew up on bluegrass and really wanted to be a part of the CDM event.

As luck would have it, a friend came by my house Tuesday afternoon and said he had three extra tickets. Figuring that was a sign, I called a couple of friends and decided to venture out. Another friend had assured me the Meyerson had wheelchairs available and encouraged me to use that option (especially since I had not gotten approval from my doctor to be out and about just yet.)

We arrived, explained the situation to the lady taking tickets, and requested a wheelchair. She was very kind, immediately requesting a wheelchair from the man sitting behind her, who was obviously waiting for just such a request. He, too, was great. He quickly wheeled a chair over to us and offered to keep my crutches, saving us inexperienced people the trouble of maneuvering with two bulky items at the same time.

It appears that we are getting closer to watching the U.S. Senate vote on health insurance reform bill that includes a public option - we'll see.

The fact that we have come this close, given all the misleading brouhaha over the summer is amazing in itself. Also amazing is that the prospective bill won't give liberals everything they want, but may provide what everyone has come to say is needed: some relief from the exorbitant costs of health care. It is amazing in that everyone - Democrats and Republicans - say that citizens need relief, yet aside from a prescription drug bill in the last administration that increased the costs of prescription drugs, prohibited government negotiation on costs and increased the deficit, nothing has been done.

Hello EverydayCitizens. It has come to my attention that something awesome happened while we were sleeping. Legally Blond Star and Academy Award Winner, Reese Witherspoon donated $2 Million by stepping out to the women's empowerment charity.

Hello Everyday Citizens. Besides the fact that it is entirely too cold in this office, I decided to take a break from my busyness in the office to blog for a minute. I have been an avid reader of Salon.com for a minute, but today I decided to see what the happenings were, and well, in honor of Halloween Pro-Life activists have decided to recruit for their bonfire! All you need is : a torch, a gasoline canister, and a life-size stand-up of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

WOW is right!

An old couple lives next door. Now just the woman. The man has passed on, leaving her alone. Few children come through our neighborhood on Halloween, so most people don't bother to stock much candy, but every year the woman sets aside a special bag of treats for my children on Halloween -- mints from restaurants, chocolates from hotels, waste not want not. The sort of thing, when you get older, starts to seem odd, like the people on the block who give out nickels or dental floss for Halloween. Apples. The air in the bag of candy, clearly a collection of sweets the woman accumulated over the course of the year, smells like her house, bit of cedar and a hint of Listerine...an antiseptic smell. One wonders if she accumulated the candy all year with the thought of handing it to my kids.

It's odd.

And it's sweet.

And on Halloween, it's my kids' first experiences with the kind differences of neighbors.

I love Halloween.

I thought the blog posts today would discuss breast cancer. Seeing as Domestic Violence Awareness share's it's month with Breast Cancer Awareness as well. Both are worth while causes that need light shed on them because both need adequate attention in society.

According to Change.org, "The Army of Women aims to eradicate breast cancer by changing the face of breast cancer research. "

Sounds Awesome right? The group dedicates itself to two revolutionary principles:

• Representing ALL women in studies so results apply to all women, and
• Studying prevention techniques in addition to treatments.

If you didn't catch Soledad O'Brien's Latino in America special, you need to. I think its an important look at the growth of the Hispanic community in this country in light of our country's failure to put into effect a comprehensive and comprehensible immigration policy. Like her previous documentaries on what it means to be 'Black in America', its sure to spark conversation, pro and con.

There are moving stories about the plight of undocumented children who come here looking for their parents; undocumented workers and a community of Hispanics whose assimilation into our country's community values which has transformed a dreaded neighborhood into one in which families celebrate the search for the American dream.

Great News, HPV vaccine, Gardisil is no longer just for women, men have been approved by the FDA as well.

Yes, you heard right!

Today is a great day, especially for Comprehensive Sex Education. Remember, please call your Senators and make sure they kill the Hatch Amendment, for more information, click here.

I also want to blog about social media today. I love Facebook, I mean we have a serious relationship. It has been an awesome networking tool and my friends are able to read my blog posts, that's always great, right?

Well, recent studies have now shown that women use social media more than men!

Don't look so Surprised! I'm serious... read more

Many people are rightly concerned about their health and the health of their family. Yet, we get so many messages that warn us to beware of vaccines or of the science behind them as if there are battalions of faceless sinister people in lab coats who want to do harm to the general public. It is this latter sentiment, of fear and mistrust, especially among people from minority communities, that I want to counter by providing straightforward information in hopes of enhancing people's understanding of vaccination and how sound scientific literacy can help us make important decisions.

I’ll address the concern most people express:

“The H1N1 (Swine) Flu vaccine was made too fast and it can’t possibly be safe to administer.”