After over four years we've finally leased the first apartments to formerly homeless persons at CityWalk @Akard!

It's been a long, eventful, instructive journey to say the least. The building is not quite finished. We expect all of the housing to be completed by late February. Some parts of the retail and the 15th floor, market-rate condos will wrap up a bit later.

The South Dallas Cultural Center is a fairly small theater that, depending on the event, seats probably around 100-200 people(Don't quote me on that... spacial estimations were never my strong point!). Every seat allows great access to a good view and close proximity to the stage. I saw that their Soul Children's Theater would be performing Tales of the Mouse this weekend - a great opportunity to take children with me.

I've never been much for "New Year's Resolutions." Something about my history of achieving failure so early in the year I guess just discourages me from making grand promises to myself about what I'll accomplish personally.

Do you know the feeling?

Though he tries in this performance, Jerry Caplinger is not Willie Nelson, but the lyrics still ring strong and true. Our communities are stronger thanks to the complexity, diversity and energy of our immigrant neighbors.

Here in East Dallas we're surrounded by immigrants from south of our border. I'm grateful that my Mexican and other Latin American neighbors found their way to Dallas.

The vision of the "promise land" still shapes our national soul. During the coming battle over comprehensive immigration reform, we'd do well to remember the song's faith in the people of this nation.

I want to be really honest with my fellow liberals and progressives. A true liberal is not going to win in South Carolina. There has to be a foundation built in order to get that done. Let's read on as I share with you Chad McGowan's stances on issues that matter to us and why he needs to be our next U.S. senator.

Yet even as the oil giants show their green stripes, they have quietly pursued a strategy that works against the environmental tide: buying up rights to explore Arctic and sub-Arctic lands soon to be exposed as global warming melts the polar ice. -- Joshua Kurlantzick, What lies beneath, American Prospect. Nov. 2006

Of the general public 57 percent believe man-related global warming is real. Thirty-eight percent don't. A few are uncertain. So why do many ordinary citizens remain skeptical?

Last summer and through the fall, Peace Center members and other activists rallied, demonstrated, and distributed information on the “Medicare for All” plan that we hoped Congress would adopt as its health care reform. This plan seemed like the most sensible and those knowledgeable about our health care system, people such as Dr. Thomas Kluzak of Physicians for National Health Program, seemed to think that this is the only kind of reform that made sense.

As debate at noisy Town Hall meetings and on the floor of the House and the Senate progressed, or deteriorated, if you will, it soon became apparent that the enemies of government-funded and government run health care were going to see to it that real reform never got out of the gate. When Pres. Obama started substituting “health insurance reform” for “health care reform,” the writing was on the wall.

According to TPMMuckTracker, "A Kansas jury just found Scott Roeder guilty of first degree murder in the killing of abortion doctor George Tiller at his church last May. The jury reportedly deliberated for less than hour. Roeder, an extremist anti-abortion activist, admitted on the stand that he killed Tiller. Roeder was also found guilty on two counts of aggravated assault for pointing his gun at church ushers."

WOW!

Want to crosspost here some stunning data in a post by Dr. Jody Heymann, professor in the Faculties of Medicine and Arts at McGill University. Dr. Heymann has authored and edited more than 150 publications, including Raising the Global Floor and Forgotten Families. Also, check out the interactive world legal rights database created by Dr. Heymann and her team.

When it comes to ensuring working families have the bread-and-butter basics, the United States is an outlier, there’s no doubt. For example:

• 177 nations guarantee paid leave for new mothers; the U.S. does not.
• 74 nations guarantee paid leave for new fathers; the U.S. does not.
• 132 nations guarantee breastfeeding breaks at work; the U.S. does not.
• 163 nations guarantee paid sick leave; the U.S. does not.
• 48 nations guarantee paid time off to care for children’s health; the U.S. does not.
• 41 nations provide leave that can be used for child education needs; the U.S. does not.
• 33 nations provide paid leave to care for adult family members; the U.S. does not.

The cost to Americans is profound...

According to the Telegraph, "Mrs Clinton said she would not serve a full eight years if President Barack Obama is re-elected in 2012. There has been speculation in America that Mrs Clinton could resign to run for the governor's post in New York but she said she wanted to retire to writing and teaching."

Asked if she would serve eight years, she replied: "No, I really can't."

"The whole eight - that would be very challenging," she said in the interview broadcast on television.

"It's a 24-7 job and I think at some point, I will be very happy to pass it on to someone else."

I'm not sure how I got on their email list, but over the past couple of months I've been receiving emails from MoveOn, a progressive Democratic web organization that was started by Joan Blades and Wes Boyd, two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, in 1998. I'm grateful for the emails, for it has given a concise argument of progressive views of various aspects of the health care reform bill as it has gone through the House and the Senate. What I most appreciated were the links to periodicals like the New York Times and the Washington Post that gave longer explanations as to why Move On held on certain positions on health care reform. Often these emails would come with invitations to rallies or vigils to show support for a more progressive health care reform. After the recent victory by Scott Brown in the Massachussetts Senate elections, Move On invited several people in the local southern Bay Area for an emergency health care reform rally in front of Congressman Mike Honda's office in Campbell, California. I decided to take 2 hours off of work to attend, and was glad I did. In spite of the rain, quite a crowd of people showed up to show their support. The people inspired me with their passion for true reform and their persistence in fighting for what they believe.

According to WKOWTV.com (Madison, WI), "Wisconsin schools that teach sex ed, would have to teach students how to use birth control, under a new bill passed by the state legislature. It passed along party lines, supported by all Democrats and voted against by Republicans."

YAY!

I'm a huge fan of Princeton University's Cornel West . I've read several of his books, but most inspirational has been the opportunities I've had to meet him on a couple of occasions. The first time was at a seminar sponsored by the Industrial Areas Foundation, where I and a group of leaders from across the southwest engaged in community organizing had a chance to not only listen to him lecture, but engage with him personally.

The second time was when I had the privilege of being a member of the inaugural class of Harvard University's Summer Leadership Institute. He was one of the presenters, at that time a member of Harvard's 'Dream Team', a group of African-American professors whose academic excellence and prodigious intellects were held in high regard.

According to the Guardian.co.uk, "The Irish government came under increasing pressure to overhaul its ban on abortion today, after it was accused of exposing women to "grossly misleading" information about the procedure."

According to Human Rights Watch, Irish legislation – under which women who have an abortion in Ireland face a life sentence in prison if prosecuted – is putting women's health at riskand exposing them to deliberate misinformation from rogue pro-life agencies.

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions."

Carter G. Woodson, 1875 - 1950
Historian, Author, Activist

“Everybody counts in applying democracy. And there will never be a true democracy until every responsible and law-abiding adult in it, without regard to race, sex, color or creed has his or her own inalienable and unpurchasable voice in government,” by Carrie Chapman Catt.

According to Channel 4 News Kabul, "Women were promised greater protection after the invasion of Afghanistan, but Nima Elbagir finds an increasing number have forced to self-inflict injuries to escape abuse."

Everyone has been working hard to make sure the "Anti-Choice" Ad doesn't run during the Superbowl Game. But, due to an overwhelming response by the Pro-LIfe Activist, it is scheduled to air to a "offended-audience." Recently, some interesting news surfaced about the "charming pro-life" story told by Pam Tebow.

According to Salon.com, "The Center for Reproductive Rights has taken an entirely different tack in fighting Focus on the Family's scheduled Super Bowl spot: Countering the personal anti-abortion tale Tim Tebow and his mother are expected to deliver with cold, hard facts. "

Pam Tebow's story: While pregnant working as a missionary in the Philippines, she fell ill with amoebic dysentery and was treated with robust antibiotics, which she says doctors told her had caused fetal damage, but she refused their advice that she have an abortion for her own safety. Luckily, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy -- and to a perfect anti-abortion tale.

According to Salon.com, "So when the news hit this morning that American Apparel were running a search for "the world's best bottom" we swear to God we tried not to take the bait. But with copy like:

"Confident about the junk in your trunk? Show us your assets! Post a photo of your booty's best side for judgment!"

For some reason I remember my 10th birthday. We'd had snow that winter (1959-1960). Santa brought me a great, new bike. It was red and white and chrome and very cool. I rode that bike into the ground and until I was too old and too embarrassed to ride it any longer, even with the addition of the "longhorn" handle bars!