In Their Boots webcast 23

Jeffrey Lucey joined the US Marine Corps Reserves in December 1999 while attending Holyoke Community College. He was 18 years old. Three years later he was driving a convoy through the desert during the initial invasion of Iraq. While he returned home physically unscathed, Jeff was mortally wounded, suffering from PTSD/combat operational stress. "Jeffrey slept little, ate little, was restless, hyper-vigilant, confused, angry, and frustrated," say his parents, Kevin and Joyce Lucey. "[He was] isolated in his mind, wracked with guilt, sadness, depression, rage; he was panicked, desperate, hopeless, overwhelmed, and full of rage, wanting to talk and yet at the same time wanting to be silent." Jeffrey went to the VA twice for help, but didn't get the care he needed. On June 22, 2004, 23-year-old Jeffrey Lucey decided he could no longer live with himself and took his own life. While his struggle has ended, his family's is far from over.

Grit TV Live: Chicago Workers Occupy Factory, Question Bailout

Barack Obama has said that Chicago workers who have occupied a factory are "absolutely right" to demand "benefits and payments that they've earned." Today GRITtv talks to New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, Mark Meinster, an organizer for the United Electrical Workers Union (UE), and Melvin Maclin, Vice President of UE Local 1110 on the Republic Windows sit in and why they're not buying the bailout. Followed by an interview with HOWARD ZINN.

Amy Poehler does Secretary of State Clinton

By: Harry Waisbren

Ya gotta love it:

Meet the Bloggers for Dec. 5

The recent Black Friday tragedies at Wal-Mart in New York and Toys "R" Us in California may finally help break the spell of mindless consumerism and rampant commercialism. We're taking up that cause this week on Meet the Bloggers with Rev. Billy and Savitra D of the Church of Stop Shopping and the documentary What Would Jesus Buy?  They will join host Cenk Uygur and blogger Latoya Peterson (NewDream.org) to discuss ways of avoiding sweatshop purchases, staying out of the malls and the big box stores, and how to put more meaning into the holidays without putting more stuff under the tree.

Alarmingly, 90% of what's purchased this holiday will end up in a landfill within six months.  And with Americans carrying more than $2.59 trillion in consumer debt, it's time we started celebrating a happy, cruelty-free, sustainable holiday.  Check out the material below and join us this Friday on Meet the Bloggers to let the celebration begin.

• Reverend Billy & The Church of Stop Shopping 
  
• What Would Jesus Buy? 
• The Average Household Spent $1,760 on Clothes in 2007 -- Here's One Way to Cut Back -- Stan Cox, CounterPunch
• Wal-Mart Shoppers Trample and Kill Jdimytai Damour, Keep Shopping -- Baratunde Thurston, Jack & Jill Politics
  
• Center for a New American Dream
• Credit Card Nation
• Co-op America Responsible Shopping