Congress Blocking E-mails

so much for democracy and freedomz - just a traveler

You elected them! They represent you! Yet some lawmakers have set up technology to block your messages! They say the messages you send through organized campaign sites are spam.

Congressional offices began to adopt new software that blocks the delivery of email their constituents send from a wide range of nonprofit organization websites.

The Internet has opened up democratic communication between millions of Americans and their elected representatives. This new, higher level of participation should be welcomed, not disabled. This new technology, launched just a short while ago and already in use by more than 30 Representatives, requires you to answer a "logic puzzle" question before you can submit a comment.

This is designed to limit communications to only those constituents who go directly to the lawmaker's own website to send a message.

Unorganized individuals will be able to talk to their representatives, but people who wish to communicate as part of a movement through nonprofit organizations were blocked. A wide array of organizations - left and right - came together to oppose this with one voice.

Visit Don't Block My Voice to send a letter to your representative.

https://secure.consumersunion.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1161

Are You Being Charged Twice For Gas?

Heads up to those using debit cards to purchase gas!!

When you pay at the pump with your debit card, additional money in your checking account may get frozen for up to 3 days. The banks use the term "hold", but whatever you want to call it - your money is being withheld from you.

Even if you're pumping only a few dollars of gas, up to $100 may be frozen in your checking account. The banks are claiming they need such large holds because they don't know how much gas you'll pump when they pre-authorize the charge.

The gas station and banks know how much you have pumped, and it does not take up to three days to verify these purchases.

The 3 day "freeze" or "hold" can lead to bounced checks, which is one the banking systems biggest money makers today.

Huge Gator Found in Alabama

The game warden is 6'5' tall - and this huge alligator found 90 miles north of Birmingham, Alabama in Lake Wiess - is over 23 feet long! The gator was found swimming with a whole deer in his mouth.

IRAQ: Nature Adds to Occupation Blows

According to McCain, things are going well in Iraq - but he obviously hasn't talked to the people of Iraq, and probably could care less what they are facing . . . just a traveler


Farmers in Iraq have been hit by just about every crisis possible. First the security disaster dried up supplies and markets, then lack of electricity cut irrigation, and now comes a drying up of water resources.

Nothing now seems more difficult in Iraq than the business of farming.

Many farmers say that they fear that the northern Kurdish-controlled region of Iraq is facing a dry 2008. The mountains there, besides the mountains of southwest Iran and southern Turkey, form a large source of water for Iraq.

The government is doing little to help people over this crisis. Hundreds of thousands of acres are now desolate, and thousands of people jobless.

Most villagers work in farming, and now that farming no more sustains people as it did, life there is badly hit. Agriculture in this area kept Iraq supplied, and also produced enough for exports. But now farmers sometimes have a hard time feeding themselves.

Iraq has started to import vegetables for the first time in its modern history despite a rich agricultural heritage that reaches back 6,000 years.

Aside from the direct consequences of a failed military occupation, such as lack of security, fuel and electricity, U.S. occupation authorities have installed a neo-liberal free market system that has pushed Iraqi farmers out of competition as foreign goods flood the markets. That in turn is hitting the local economy and increasing unemployment.

Source: IPS Migration

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42378

Singles Travel International

I have never understood why single travelers have to pay more $$'s for traveling solo - especially for cruises. Now single travelers can save $$'s by taking advantage of group prices by joining this free social travel network . . . just a traveler

Singles Travel International created a social networking website that helps single travelers find a travel companion, get to know group trip members before the trip, and stay in touch with friends from previous trips.

The social network community for single travelers is at www.singlestravelintl.com

Applying Facebook-style networking to single travel lets Singles Travel Community members post personal profiles including photos, find people with similar travel interests in their neighborhood or worldwide, or find a compatible roommate for a group trip.

Becoming a member of the Singles Travel Community is free. Single travelers can sign up online and immediately post a profile. Members can maintain their privacy and control who sees their personal information. Members can also book and manage trips in one online location.

Singles Travel said the network is also adding other features, such as private chat, member travel blogs and online photo albums.

For more information, call 877-SOLO-TRIP or visit www.singlestravelintl.com

Making a Killing from the Food Crisis

The world food crisis is hurting a lot of people, but global agribusiness firms, traders and speculators are raking in huge profits.

Much of the news coverage of the world food crisis has focussed on riots in low-income countries, where workers and others cannot cope with skyrocketing costs of staple foods.

But there is another side to the story: the big profits that are being made by huge food corporations and investors. Cargill, the world's biggest grain trader, achieved an 86% increase in profits from commodity trading in the first quarter of this year.

Bunge, another huge food trader, had a 77% increase in profits during the last quarter of last year. ADM, the second largest grain trader in the world, registered a 67% per cent increase in profits in 2007.

Read the full article at ENN