Petition Tag - prior
1. Free Shane
Visit freeshane.com for details.
Dear Alain Vigneault and Mike Gillis,
I was moved to write you this letter in hopes that my words can save a young man from the proverbial doghouse. I never thought of myself as much of a public servant and, truth be told, if somebody told me earlier in the season that I would be starting a campaign to get Shane O'Brien into the lineup I would tell them they are insane. You know, because after all it is Shane O'Brien. Prior to this season Shane was prone to mistakes and bad penalties but I think we can all agree that he has worked hard to improve on his SOBesque behavior on the ice.
However, we all know that it's not because of Shane's play that I want to see him in the lineup because, after all, we are talking about Shane O'Brien. There are bigger issues here. Issues like Aaron Rome and Andrew Alberts gobbling up minutes. This sort of thing is alright in these mean-nothing games down the stretch but I live in horror thinking this could carry over into the playoffs. Horror I say.
Look, I get it. There weren't many options available prior to the trade deadline. Nobody in their right mind would want Dion Phaneuf in their dressing room and the rest of the pickings were slim at best as evident by the fact we were only able to bring in Andrew Alberts. I know you tried to do your best Mike so as a former Canuck great once said, "it is what it is".
However, with the Willie Mitchell health status clouded in a mystery that would make Woodward and Bernstein salivate, we must tread carefully with our defencemen. We are "this close" to having Nolan Baumgartner hit the ice in the playoffs and I for one don't want to see that. I'm sure you guys feel the same way.
I know that the Mathieu Schneider divorce was sudden and over quickly. I understand that there may still be some lingering feelings where you guys feel like you need to flex your muscles and keep your players in line. I get it. But guys, we really need Shane fu#$ing O'Brien in the playoffs. Wow, did I just write that? Shiiiiiiiit........
So I ask you to free Shane O'Brien from the doghouse. I know there were issues. Rumors swirling about him being late for practice and other things. But I ask you guys to put yourself in Shane's shoes. Picture yourself being a 26-year-old athlete in the city, drinks are flowing, the intoxicating sound of country music fills the air. It's easy to get caught up in such an atmosphere. And really, what did Shane really do? Have a little to much to drink and sleep in. Heck, 75% of the workforce would be unemployed if this was such a crime.
Instead of looking at the bad, please look at the good that Shane did. He went on country music night where the worst thing that could happen is a bit too much alchohol getting consumed. If it was hip hop night then somebody could have very well gotten shot. Don't like the black-eye that Shane has brought to the organization? Well things could be worse. As you can see by the last time a Canuck was featured prominently on DeadSpin.
So just chill out guys. Enjoy the last week of the season and the fact that we've made the playoffs. And let Shane O'Brien be Shane O'Brien. Because we really *gulp* need him heading into the playoffs.
Dear Alain Vigneault and Mike Gillis,
I was moved to write you this letter in hopes that my words can save a young man from the proverbial doghouse. I never thought of myself as much of a public servant and, truth be told, if somebody told me earlier in the season that I would be starting a campaign to get Shane O'Brien into the lineup I would tell them they are insane. You know, because after all it is Shane O'Brien. Prior to this season Shane was prone to mistakes and bad penalties but I think we can all agree that he has worked hard to improve on his SOBesque behavior on the ice.
However, we all know that it's not because of Shane's play that I want to see him in the lineup because, after all, we are talking about Shane O'Brien. There are bigger issues here. Issues like Aaron Rome and Andrew Alberts gobbling up minutes. This sort of thing is alright in these mean-nothing games down the stretch but I live in horror thinking this could carry over into the playoffs. Horror I say.
Look, I get it. There weren't many options available prior to the trade deadline. Nobody in their right mind would want Dion Phaneuf in their dressing room and the rest of the pickings were slim at best as evident by the fact we were only able to bring in Andrew Alberts. I know you tried to do your best Mike so as a former Canuck great once said, "it is what it is".
However, with the Willie Mitchell health status clouded in a mystery that would make Woodward and Bernstein salivate, we must tread carefully with our defencemen. We are "this close" to having Nolan Baumgartner hit the ice in the playoffs and I for one don't want to see that. I'm sure you guys feel the same way.
I know that the Mathieu Schneider divorce was sudden and over quickly. I understand that there may still be some lingering feelings where you guys feel like you need to flex your muscles and keep your players in line. I get it. But guys, we really need Shane fu#$ing O'Brien in the playoffs. Wow, did I just write that? Shiiiiiiiit........
So I ask you to free Shane O'Brien from the doghouse. I know there were issues. Rumors swirling about him being late for practice and other things. But I ask you guys to put yourself in Shane's shoes. Picture yourself being a 26-year-old athlete in the city, drinks are flowing, the intoxicating sound of country music fills the air. It's easy to get caught up in such an atmosphere. And really, what did Shane really do? Have a little to much to drink and sleep in. Heck, 75% of the workforce would be unemployed if this was such a crime.
Instead of looking at the bad, please look at the good that Shane did. He went on country music night where the worst thing that could happen is a bit too much alchohol getting consumed. If it was hip hop night then somebody could have very well gotten shot. Don't like the black-eye that Shane has brought to the organization? Well things could be worse. As you can see by the last time a Canuck was featured prominently on DeadSpin.
So just chill out guys. Enjoy the last week of the season and the fact that we've made the playoffs. And let Shane O'Brien be Shane O'Brien. Because we really *gulp* need him heading into the playoffs.
2. PHS Varsity Soccer Players for Democratically Choosing Their Own Student-Leaders
In the past, undue influence and duress has been exerted upon the Coach(es) of PHS Soccer in naming certain players as "Captains" to the PHS Soccer Team at the deprivation of more worthy student-athletes and to the detriment of the team.
This environment whereby cronyism and political patronage is promoted and where an autocratic method of naming "Captains" has, in the past, led to the collapse of team morale and reflects poorly not only upon the soccer coaches and team but rather, by a proxy representation, reflects poorly upon the athletic department and the school.
To remedy this problem and for the assistance to, insulation of, and benefit of the coaching staff; for the morale of the team; for the prestigious reputation of our beloved school the players, the team, the athletic department and the school:
We honor our American heritage and ideals of democracy by petitioning the following:
This environment whereby cronyism and political patronage is promoted and where an autocratic method of naming "Captains" has, in the past, led to the collapse of team morale and reflects poorly not only upon the soccer coaches and team but rather, by a proxy representation, reflects poorly upon the athletic department and the school.
To remedy this problem and for the assistance to, insulation of, and benefit of the coaching staff; for the morale of the team; for the prestigious reputation of our beloved school the players, the team, the athletic department and the school:
We honor our American heritage and ideals of democracy by petitioning the following:
Sirius Radio and XM Radio have recently merged and Channel 116 Kidstuff recently became something very different.
Prior to November 12th, Kidstuff was a wonderfully educational and highly entertaining channel for preschool aged children. Now, when you turn it on there is a lot of talk, comedians (that are certainly not geared for a preschooler), and rap songs and such that are not for preschoolers at all.
Prior to November 12th, Kidstuff was a wonderfully educational and highly entertaining channel for preschool aged children. Now, when you turn it on there is a lot of talk, comedians (that are certainly not geared for a preschooler), and rap songs and such that are not for preschoolers at all.
4. Combat Veterans Tuition Waiver
Young Men and Women are sent to war protecting the "American Values" Their hope is to return home and reintergrate and pick up where they left off. Soon these young enlisted men and women find themself fighting another personal battle; how to intergrate and how to complete their Education.
This petition request that the State Of Florida takes care of these veterans before they become homeless.
This petition request that the State Of Florida takes care of these veterans before they become homeless.
July 5, 2005
A quote from HaloGrid.com:
When we released Jump Tactics Spoof Episode 3: Turf I had the movie hosted on our server because no one had seen the movie. I could have submitted the movie to HBO and waited about 5 days for it to pass and be hosted... but we had a great number of people anxiously waiting for the movie to release. So I uploaded the movie to our server.
Now when JT3 hit front page of HIH, our mirror got thousands of downloads that I did not anticipate (seeing as the previous 2 versions weren't too popular). The night I got home from work and checked our bandwidth usage, we were at about 400gb over our limit. By the end of the month we were about 530gb over our limit. Prior to this happening, it was my and Arabian Camel's understanding that the overage fee was 50 cents per extra gigabyte used. We just RECENTLY came to find that they changed their overage fee from 50 cents per gigabyte, to $6.00 per gigabyte used. Arabian Camel received an email with our overage fee balance due which totaled at $3,438.00.
Of course Arabian Came to me telling me the news and we both began thinking of ways to deal with the situation. The first notion that came to mind was the fact that they changed their fees without email or otherwise notice. After he talked to them on the phone for over an hour he told me that in their TOC, they reserve the right to change their fees without prior notice. Basically meaning they were not at fault. Mike W Caizza (Clan Member - Lead Role) said if we couldn't come up with the money he would donate $100, and blackouTT (Clan Member - Lead Role) also offered to start working full-time to send us some money.
Seeing as I barely make it from paycheck to paycheck as it is... it's nearly impossible for me to set aside any more money. In short... none of us have this kind of money in any way, shape, or form.
A quote from HaloGrid.com:
When we released Jump Tactics Spoof Episode 3: Turf I had the movie hosted on our server because no one had seen the movie. I could have submitted the movie to HBO and waited about 5 days for it to pass and be hosted... but we had a great number of people anxiously waiting for the movie to release. So I uploaded the movie to our server.
Now when JT3 hit front page of HIH, our mirror got thousands of downloads that I did not anticipate (seeing as the previous 2 versions weren't too popular). The night I got home from work and checked our bandwidth usage, we were at about 400gb over our limit. By the end of the month we were about 530gb over our limit. Prior to this happening, it was my and Arabian Camel's understanding that the overage fee was 50 cents per extra gigabyte used. We just RECENTLY came to find that they changed their overage fee from 50 cents per gigabyte, to $6.00 per gigabyte used. Arabian Camel received an email with our overage fee balance due which totaled at $3,438.00.
Of course Arabian Came to me telling me the news and we both began thinking of ways to deal with the situation. The first notion that came to mind was the fact that they changed their fees without email or otherwise notice. After he talked to them on the phone for over an hour he told me that in their TOC, they reserve the right to change their fees without prior notice. Basically meaning they were not at fault. Mike W Caizza (Clan Member - Lead Role) said if we couldn't come up with the money he would donate $100, and blackouTT (Clan Member - Lead Role) also offered to start working full-time to send us some money.
Seeing as I barely make it from paycheck to paycheck as it is... it's nearly impossible for me to set aside any more money. In short... none of us have this kind of money in any way, shape, or form.
6. Do not force a new Canadian election!
Dear Honourable Stephen Harper and associate Members of Parliament;
As stated in the Globe and Mail, on Thursday April 28th, 2005, the honourable Stephen Harper will move to bring a no-confidence vote against the liberal government in the following month. Such an action has dire consequences for both Canadian Democracy, and the faith one has in Canadian Politics.
Although this faith has been repeatedly shattered, given the claims of corruption brought forth in regards to the sponsership scandal and the Gomery inquiry, forcing an election prior to the release of the report would undermine Canadian's ability to judge for themselves whether the Liberal government has lost the 'moral authority' to govern. While there is much anger with the Liberal Government, in Quebec and throughout Canada, for the sake of democracy, Canadians must be able to judge for themselves the scope of the injustice of the sponsership scandal. As a result, an election should not be forced until the Gomery Report has been produced.
Secondly, such an election would be a waste of both time that lawmakers could spend doing their job, as well as of the taxpayers money. Millions were lost in the sponsership scandal, but just how many more millions would be lost in an election that would produce near-identical results as the previous one. It is highly doubtful that given the divided support of Canadians an election would result in anything other than another minority government. As a result, it would be likley that such an election would produce a conservative or liberal minority government to be toppled once again a year or so after its formation. In other words, the question must arise, "Why must an election be held now?"
It is obvious that the Conservative Party's answer to this is that the liberal government has lost all moral authority to govern. However, this sponsership scandal is hardly new to this minority government, as it was equally an issue in the previous federal election of 2004. The only change is the production of the Gomery report revealing the details of the scandal. And that is exactly why the federal election should wait until at the very least the entire report has been released. Let the Canadian people see for themselves the details of the corruption first hand. There should be no reason for the Canadian people to have to rely on the media's point of view of the Gomery inquiry. It should be released to the public PRIOR to any move for a federal election.
Finally, in June 2004, the Canadian people expressed their wish to have a divided parliament. There was no clear majority, which proves to the legistlature that the Canadian people are divided. The Canadian elected the LIBERAL party as GOVERNING party, the CONSERVATIVE party as OPPOSITION, and both the NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY and PARTI BLOC QUEBECOIS as significant but smaller OPPOSITION parties. Therefore, each of these parties should work towards comprimises which BEST REFLECT the WILL of the Canadian People. A Minority Parliament is an expression of the Canadain People's desire for comprimise.
As stated in the Globe and Mail, on Thursday April 28th, 2005, the honourable Stephen Harper will move to bring a no-confidence vote against the liberal government in the following month. Such an action has dire consequences for both Canadian Democracy, and the faith one has in Canadian Politics.
Although this faith has been repeatedly shattered, given the claims of corruption brought forth in regards to the sponsership scandal and the Gomery inquiry, forcing an election prior to the release of the report would undermine Canadian's ability to judge for themselves whether the Liberal government has lost the 'moral authority' to govern. While there is much anger with the Liberal Government, in Quebec and throughout Canada, for the sake of democracy, Canadians must be able to judge for themselves the scope of the injustice of the sponsership scandal. As a result, an election should not be forced until the Gomery Report has been produced.
Secondly, such an election would be a waste of both time that lawmakers could spend doing their job, as well as of the taxpayers money. Millions were lost in the sponsership scandal, but just how many more millions would be lost in an election that would produce near-identical results as the previous one. It is highly doubtful that given the divided support of Canadians an election would result in anything other than another minority government. As a result, it would be likley that such an election would produce a conservative or liberal minority government to be toppled once again a year or so after its formation. In other words, the question must arise, "Why must an election be held now?"
It is obvious that the Conservative Party's answer to this is that the liberal government has lost all moral authority to govern. However, this sponsership scandal is hardly new to this minority government, as it was equally an issue in the previous federal election of 2004. The only change is the production of the Gomery report revealing the details of the scandal. And that is exactly why the federal election should wait until at the very least the entire report has been released. Let the Canadian people see for themselves the details of the corruption first hand. There should be no reason for the Canadian people to have to rely on the media's point of view of the Gomery inquiry. It should be released to the public PRIOR to any move for a federal election.
Finally, in June 2004, the Canadian people expressed their wish to have a divided parliament. There was no clear majority, which proves to the legistlature that the Canadian people are divided. The Canadian elected the LIBERAL party as GOVERNING party, the CONSERVATIVE party as OPPOSITION, and both the NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY and PARTI BLOC QUEBECOIS as significant but smaller OPPOSITION parties. Therefore, each of these parties should work towards comprimises which BEST REFLECT the WILL of the Canadian People. A Minority Parliament is an expression of the Canadain People's desire for comprimise.
7. Stop Centrelink Creating Debt For Australian Families
Thousands of Australian families are being put into debt because they are unable to predict their taxable income a year in advance. Family Tax Benefits and Child Care Benefits are calculated on predictions of taxable income. Pay rises, working overtime or going back to work early after leave are not taken into account and often lead to debts in the THOUSANDS of dollars for already struggling families.
Income should be assessed on weekly earnings and updated quarterly so payments can be adjusted and debts not accrued.
Families should not have to pay back Benefits received when their salary was lower or they were not earning any money at all.
Do you know that the government can take your tax refund check to recover these "debts" without your prior knowledge or consent? This should NOT be allowed to happen.
Take this case study ( my own experience ). A mother takes the whole tax year off on maternity leave and makes a low estimate of income as she does not expect to go back to work until the following tax year. Ten months later money is very tight and work asks her to come back part-time. She agrees and notifies Centrelink immediately. Centr elink stops payments (Fair enough). Two months later she does her taxes. Her tax check is taken because she "owes" over $2500 in Family Tax Benefits overpayments because she earned more than her original estimate.
After ten months of struggling financially how is this affordable?
Why should we have to pay back Benefits received when we really needed them because our circumstances have changed?
How can we expected to plan our lives a year in advance and why should we be penalised for saving them money by going back to work?
Thousands of honest Australians are in debt because THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK.
If you or someone you know has been affected by this system I urge you to sign this petition or email Senator Kay Patterson and maybe we can make a change that will benefit all Australian families.
Income should be assessed on weekly earnings and updated quarterly so payments can be adjusted and debts not accrued.
Families should not have to pay back Benefits received when their salary was lower or they were not earning any money at all.
Do you know that the government can take your tax refund check to recover these "debts" without your prior knowledge or consent? This should NOT be allowed to happen.
Take this case study ( my own experience ). A mother takes the whole tax year off on maternity leave and makes a low estimate of income as she does not expect to go back to work until the following tax year. Ten months later money is very tight and work asks her to come back part-time. She agrees and notifies Centrelink immediately. Centr elink stops payments (Fair enough). Two months later she does her taxes. Her tax check is taken because she "owes" over $2500 in Family Tax Benefits overpayments because she earned more than her original estimate.
After ten months of struggling financially how is this affordable?
Why should we have to pay back Benefits received when we really needed them because our circumstances have changed?
How can we expected to plan our lives a year in advance and why should we be penalised for saving them money by going back to work?
Thousands of honest Australians are in debt because THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK.
If you or someone you know has been affected by this system I urge you to sign this petition or email Senator Kay Patterson and maybe we can make a change that will benefit all Australian families.
8. Investigate Grossmont-Union/Santana High School & San Diego County Agencies and Offices
This petition is posted prior to the imminent sentencing of Charles Andrew (Andy) Williams, defendant in People v Williams (California).
It is presented after extensive support efforts of over 17 months by many individuals and groups in support of Andy Williams being tried as a juvenile.
He had just turned 15 prior to his arrest.
Andy Williams was taken into custody at Santana High School in Santee, California on March 5, 2001. He is being tried as an adult under California statute enacted under voter initiative Proposition 21.
This proposition and its resulting law remains controversial among individuals and groups, among them, Amnesty International
(http://www.amnestyusa.org/children/factsheetprop21.html) and the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (www.cjcj.org)
We call upon youth advocates worldwide, to contact the U.S. Attorney General, John Ashcroft for his expedient response to this petition.
It is presented after extensive support efforts of over 17 months by many individuals and groups in support of Andy Williams being tried as a juvenile.
He had just turned 15 prior to his arrest.
Andy Williams was taken into custody at Santana High School in Santee, California on March 5, 2001. He is being tried as an adult under California statute enacted under voter initiative Proposition 21.
This proposition and its resulting law remains controversial among individuals and groups, among them, Amnesty International
(http://www.amnestyusa.org/children/factsheetprop21.html) and the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (www.cjcj.org)
We call upon youth advocates worldwide, to contact the U.S. Attorney General, John Ashcroft for his expedient response to this petition.