Since I'm tired of all the candidate hit pieces on DKos as of late. And as my own small attempt to lighten the mood around here. I though I'd post this diary that has nothing to do with politics.

As I was watching the news last night this story came on. 5-year-old descendant of Davy Crockett kills bear. All I could think was what kind of irresponsable a****** takes a five year child hunting. How f***ing sick are these people.

With everything going on in our country today the upcoming primaries, the continuing war in Iraq, and Bush and Cheney's ongoing efforts to dismantle the Constitution. I thought people might need a little reminder that there are people in their own communities right now that need help their help. Thanksgiving is coming up and some people don't have all that much to be thankful for, because it's hard to grateful when your stomachs empty.

Coss posted at NION

No, this isn’t a diary about Jeff Foxworthy jokes. A couple of weeks ago I was watching a show called Hillbillies on the History Channel. The show was about the development of Appalachian mountain culture aka Hillbillies. Among the topics covered was the origin of the term redneck. I was surprised about the origins of the term and I no longer think of it as a derogatory epithet.

This diary is cross-posted at NION

   Thanks for getting the open thread started revelwoodie. Now I guess it's my turn to keep it going. Just as revelwoodie did a piece on the history of Labor Day. I was supposed to do one on the current state of unions in America. But as I proceeded to write the piece I got to thinking about my time in Laborer's Local #483. My first job with Local #483 was with an outfit that did utility work (laying sewer lines, conduit pipe, etc.). And while I may have been a manual soil displacement engineer (a ditch digger in common parlance) I could make a living and support my family. While today I'm not a union member, due to health problems. I still believe that unions are one of the best ways for insuring fair treatment and fair pay for workers.  

   Last week I wrote a diary for the Class and Labor series called Class and Labor: Perceptions of Poverty in America. In that diary I stated that between 2000 and 2005 poverty had increased by .8 percent, from 11.8 to 12.6 percent, this is using the Census Bureaus on numbers. Yet today as I was watching the ABC Evening News they did a story that poverty has decreased over the last four years. Can we say it all together now "BULLS**T"

   Before I get started I’d like to thank Elise for letting me once again to contribute to the Class and Labor series. I’d also like to thank Tryptamine for her excellent diary last week  "Food Insecurity" that inspired me to write this diary. Tryptamine’s diary got me once again thinking about the main cause of food insecurity: poverty. To be more precise the perception that substantial cross sections of Americans have of poverty and those who live in poverty.

This diary is cross posted at NION

   At least 200 people were killed late tuesday outside of Mosul. Four truck bombs exploded killing at least 200 and wounding around 300 outside of Mosul in northern Iraq near Syria. They were members the Kurdish Yazidi religious minority.

   I'm probably going to catch a bit of flack for this diary. But I've never let that stop me yet and I won't let it stop me now or in the future. So here it goes. While I know the purpose of DailyKos is to Democratic candidates elected to office. I myself am not a Democrat, I'm an Independent. Although until a few years ago I was registered as a Democrat (as I had been since I was old enough to vote). I'm hoping that 2008 will be the year the Democratic party wins me back.

If you're still reading this join me below the fold so I can explain my position.

  This is my third diary on watershed moments in the history of the American labor movement. Although this diary was started before the mine collapse in Utah and now the one in Indiana as well. I believe the issues raised by this piece may have a direct bearing on both events. At least as far as they both concern labor issues if nothing else.

 
This diary is coss-posted on NION and ProgressiveHistorians

This diary is about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. One of the worst workplace disasters of the 20th century. Even though since that time there have been incidents with higher body counts and more wide spread damage. The Triangle Fire had arguably the most impact of any of them on the American workplace.

This diary is cross posted at Progressive Historians and NION

When I started this diary I wanted to do one about the Homestead Strike, The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the Ludlow Massacre as a tribute to the sacrifices made by the labor movement in this country. As I went on I realized that I couldn't put it all in one diary. So consider this the first part of a three part series. The history of the labor movement in this country is something that is often ignored. One of the reasons for that is that it's a story about how the government of the US has stood against it's citizens in an attempt to appease big business and the wealthy. But I belive that it's a story worth telling, not only once but again and again so that people don't take for granted what they have now. And so that they realize that we had to fight for what we have and we must fight to preserve it.  

This diary is cross posted on Diatribune and NION

I woke up this morning pissed off. I'm tired of presidential candidates playing it safe and spewing talking points. Why won't any of them stand up and grow a pair?

So I was cruising for news Monday and I came across an article in the St. Petersburg Times about a case were a man stabbed a homeless man. I know that the war in Iraq and corruption in the Bush administration are hot issues here at Daily Kos. Not to mention the Virginia Tech shootings last week. But I think that sometimes other issues that are just as important are buried because of the lastest scandal or tragedy and the plight of the homelessness is one of those issues. Also the MSM have a tendency with this issue like so many issues to mention it in passing and then ignore it. So I figured I do my bit to shine some light on it. It may not be pretty but it deserves to be looked at.

This diary is cross posted on NION

This is just a quick diary so I can find something out about what happened to Dot and friend. And to point out that Gordon Smith isn't all that sure he can keep his office.

Some people who read this diary may be wondering what does this have to do with politics and why am I posting it on Daily Kos. Partly I’m writing this diary in an attempt to exorcize some of the demons from my past. Another reason is that I hope by making my story public it may help in some way those who have gone through a similar situation. Also it shows what sometimes happens to kids born on the wrong end of the social/economic ladder and it give’s those who are higher up on the ladder an idea of what it’s like. Finally one of the first rules of writing is to write what you know. Rather I like it or not this is a subject with which I’m intimately familiar. I’m not trying to get sympathy or pity for what I went through. I know that there are others who have had it much worse than I did. And if anyone makes a comment on this diary saying how sorry they feel for what I had to go through, I will personally reach through the internet tubes and slap you upside the head.

 As some people may be able to tell from a couple of my comments I have a problem with Bill Maher. I was watching Real Time with Bill Maher last Friday. I do this for the same reason some people watch Bill O'Reilly to watch the circus. I actually think he generally has good guests on the show. And I like to watch the debate between the right wing and left wing guests. So Bill if your reading this you're welcome.  When Bill got to New Rules the last one hit the nail on the head as to the reason I have a problem with him, Elitism.  

As I was making comments on one of the diaries about the whole Don Imus. I started a comment about racism that I really thought I should expand to a diary. So here it is I hope it was worth it.