Ohio State Students: Turn Your Back on Boehner

John Boehner is speaking at OSU Graduation.  I’m proud to see students creatively responding:

http://www.progressohio.org/blog/2011/06/join-students-in-turning-their-back-on-speaker-john-boehner.html

Boehner Facts:

Boehner’s Budget eliminates good jobs and green jobs for grads at a time when youth unemployment is twice the national average.
• Boehner’s Budget would eliminate or drastically cut Americorps, destroying more than 75,000 jobs for young people who want to serve their fellow citizens.
• Clean energy research and development and loans would disappear or downsize significantly, along with the new jobs they create in areas like wind and solar energy and battery-powered car development.

Slashes job training at a time when young workers need it most.
• By rolling back funding for education and job training to 2008 levels, Boehner will keep students from learning the skills they need to find a job.
• This makes no sense at a time when more than 80% of jobs now require some kind of post-high school training. This generation needs more training, not less to thrive in the 21st century economy.

Boehner’s Budget cuts funding that helps the lowest income students go to college.
• The neediest college students would lose $2,350 in Pell grant aid next school year and
more than 1.4 million students will be ineligible for grants entirely.3
• This is the wrong time to cut Pell grants as states raise tuition and reduce funding for higher education. Pell grants only cover about a third of the cost of attending college as it
is.

Boehner’s Budget takes away health insurance for young people and increases our costs of care.
The Budget will repeal the health reform law. This will mean:
• You can’t stay on your parent’s insurance until age 26.
• Low-income adults won’t get help paying for high-cost individual insurance.
• People with asthma, diabetes, or other pre-existing conditions could be unable to get insurance.

More Save the American Dream pics

The most surprising one was this blown-up photo of Jasiri X, standing in Madison, WI holding his own sign: Fox News will lie about this. Other pics: My homegirl (and MoveOn organizer) Mariana Ruiz with Austin King, former Madison City Council President.

Glenn Beck is our best spokesperson

I don’t like to brag too much about my wife Lenore.  So I was really glad when my friend Noland sent me this note:

HOW COULD ANYONE HAVE GOTTEN ALL OF THESE SPONSORS IN JUST TWO DAYS?

nice work lenore.

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201102250051

Cheese Not Koch Day

I am so proud of Lenore and the thousands of other people, but mostly Lenore, for organizing pro-Wisconson rallies in all 50 state capitals in like three days. I’m at the NY rally right now, loving every moment.

CHICAGO TONIGHT -See you there

Progressive Alliance PAC Launch from 6-9 p.m. at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 1 W Grand.

Five Myths About The Suburbs (My first Washington Post Op-Ed)

Suddenly, I am an expert on suburbs.

http://wapo.st/ihcwEr

The scariest thing about this piece was my interview with Arthur C. Nelson, who is actually an expert on the cost of suburban sprawl at the University of Utah. He described to me the cost of maintenance on suburban infrastructure as a “2 TRILLION dollar infrastructure time bomb” that will haunt taxpayers for generations to come, and is likely to bankrupt many suburban towns.

 

 

 

Exercise Your Values (Literally): 10 Commandments, 9, 8, 7, 6…

Let’s get personal for a sec…

Values Values Values is supposedly all the rage. But um… what are our values again?

It’s hard to remember.

I’m a big fan of mnemonic (memorization) devices.

Below is an example of a very awesome very personal ritual I have developed to remind myself to live my values every day. It may seem like a crazy long list. But the trick is that I have actually memorized the whole thing and I have incorporated it into my morning exercise routine.

I totally recommend doing your own version of this. It’s f-cking awesome. Hoping to start a discussion on:

• What do you think of this? Does anyone else think this is cool? Or is it weird and crazy?
• Other easy-to-memorize value systems I should consider incorporating? (it’s open source. It keeps growing…)
• Has anyone heard of a practice like this? I want to hear other people’s embarrassing personal spiritual practices.
• How the f-ck are we going to build a movement without some type of values-based system like this, and a simple way for millions of people to memorize and practice it?

Trying to be provocative…

Billy

Exercise Your Values (Literally): 10 Commandments, 9, 8, 7, 6…

Stephen Colbert once interviewed a Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) who had introduced a Bill to have the 10 Commandments installed in public buildings.

Colbert nailed him on camera: “What are the 10 Commandments?”

Rep. Westmorland: “What are all of them?”

Colbert: “Yup.”

Rep. Westmoreland: “You want me to name them all?”

Colbert: “Yeah, please.”

Rep. Westmorland: “Hmmmmm…(pause)… Don’t murder…. Don’t lie… Don’t steal… I can’t name them all.”

Don’t let this happen to you.

I have a foolproof system.

Just in case I die tomorrow (cuz y’all know I am riding the Chinatown bus to DC), I wanted to make sure I share it first. This is one of the best kept secrets ever. Anyone out there can adapt it to your own values and morning rituals.

You know when you read a book like the 4 Agreements, or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and you think:

“Damn… I should memorize these. If I could live by them every day, it would make my life better.”

But then you never do?

Like: “Damn, what are those Four Agreements, again?”

About a year ago, I came up with a way to memorize them all and use them every day. The best memory device ever. I do crunches in the morning and recite each value system with each crunch: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6… like this.  I know it sounds crazy. But it takes 10 minutes, flattens my abs, and I swear to God it works. I know you’re probably laughing. But hold your fire for a sec. One day, I’ll do an exercise video. Upski vs. Richard Simmons. Then you can laugh.

What are other dope value systems?  I’ll keep adding them as I go…

EXERCISE YOUR VALUES

10 Commandments

There’s only one God (AKA God is Love)

Do Not Worship False Idols (AKA Materialism)

Do Not take the Lord’s Name in Vain

Keep the Sabbath Holy

Honor Your Elders

Do Not Kill

Do Not Commit Adultery

Do Not Steal

Do Not Lie

Do Not Covet

9 Fruits of the Spirit (New Testament Galatians 5:22-23)

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Goodness

Faithfulness

Kindness

Gentleness

Self-control

9 Practices of Rockwood Leadership Institute

I’m Enough

I’m Authentic

I Know

I Choose

I am Powerful

I am impeccable

I Listen Deeply

I Breathe

I Stress no more

8 Habits of Highly Effective People

Be Proactive

Begin With the Ends in Mind

Put First Things First

Think Win/Win

Seek First to Understand Before Being Understood

Synergize

Sharpen the Saw

Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs

7 Values of the League of Pissed Off Voters

Family

Freedom (with Responsibility)

Community

Opportunity

Sustainable Jobs

Transformation

Peace

7 Principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba)

Umoja (Unity)

Kujichagulia (Self Determination)

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

Nia (Purpose)

Kuumba (Creativity)

Imani (Faith)

6 Lessons from Good to Great and Built to Last

Level 5 Leadership: “Personal humility. Fanatical about results.”

Right people on the bus. Wrong people off the bus.

Core values made real and infused

BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)

Confront the brutal facts. Yet maintain unwavering faith

Culture of Discipline.

5 Pillars of Islam (Sunni)

Shahadah (Profession of faith)

Salat (Prayers)

Sawm (Fasting)

Zakat (Giving)

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

5 Dysfunctions of a Team

Absence of Trust

Avoidance of Conflict

Lack of Commitment

Lack of Accountability

Inattention to Results

4 Agreements

Be impeccable with your word

Don’t make assumptions

Don’t take things personally

Always do your best

3 Circles of the Hedgehog

What are you most deeply passionate about?

What are you best in the world at?

What drives your economic engine?

3 Rules from Rha Goddess

Stay True

Get Paid

Do Good

3 Billy’s Rules

Be good

Get power

Don’t do anything stupid to mess up your life

2 Principles of Tao

Yin: Darkness, Earth, Femaleness

Yang: Lightness, Sun, Maleness

Everything reflects and contains its opposite.

1 Golden Rule

Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you

AKA Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself

AKA God is Love.. for generations to come.

I’m ALL IN.

GOOOOOOO TEAM.