Sandy is Climate Change. Sandy is not Al Qaeda. Sandy is faster and bigger because of what we do. Even the phrase "human-caused" sounds evasive. It's you and me. It's what we do in our ordinary life.

Sandy is very direct. The tree branches flying over the roof of my house a couple nights ago were hurled into the wind by how I use electricity, transport myself, how I shop. And by how my country makes war, which is the worst CO2 emitter of all.

For many New Yorkers, the USA's red white and blue flag on the covers of the tabloids this week is a dismaying image. Flying the flag after 9/11 meant completely distorting what it means to be an American. Let's change the meaning of raising the flag this time. We are not creating a Devil that arouses our violence. The flag means Peace. Peace on Earth. We are promising to strike a balance with natural life, to restore the forests and coral reefs, to stop the poisons, the fracking, tar sands and mountaintop removal coal-mining. Our god the corporations' "dominion over" over flora and fauna is impossible. We cannot live separately from other life. Sandy has daughters. Earthalujah!

Colin Beavan, candidate in the 8th Congressional District in Brooklyn, will appear in a debate with the Democratic and Republican candidates on Wed, Oct. 31, from 7 to 9:30 PM at the Brooklyn Music School, 126 St. Felix Street near BAM. The debate is sponsored by the Fort Greene Association.

And Jill Stein will appear in the Free and Equal Debate with Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson on Mon, Nov. 5, at 9pm Eastern. See the debate streamed live at http://www.freeandequal.org.

Watch a real debate among third party candidates this Monday and Tuesday! DemocracyNow.org will livestream a debate on Monday, October 22nd at 8:30pm EDT as part of their ongoing “Expand the Debate” coverage.

Ballot access organization Free and Equal will livestream a debate moderated by Larry King on Tuesday, October 23rd at 9pm EDT. Watch a simulcast of that livestream with your fellow Greens at the GPUS Livestream page.

Why not host a debate watching party? Check JillStein.org to find out how, including where to register your party with the Stein Campaign.

Politics ain't no joke.

But the Commission on Presidential Debates sure is!

Join us in New York City on Monday 10/15 for a RALLY TO #OCCUPYtheCPD with Jill Stein & Cheri Honkala, the Green Party presidential ticket for 2012, and special guests comedian Lee Camp and hip hop candidate George Martinez of Bum Rush the Vote!

Click here to learn more and RSVP.

The major presidential debates are the first opportunity for millions of voters to see the presidential contenders themselves, not just their advertising campaigns. These debates are organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) - a supposedly "nonpartisan" corporation which is in reality a puppet of the national Democratic and Republican parties, and the big corporations that fund both of them. The CPD's criteria to be included in these debates are designed to exclude independent contenders who promote ideas that challenge those in power.



Demand presidential debates that include the real choices before the voters this November. Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala of the Green Party will appear on 85% of the ballots across the country this year. But Jill Stein will not be on stage at the Tuesday, October 16th debate at Hofstra University on Long Island. Join Stein, Honkala, and special guests Lee Camp and George Martinez to rally for open, free, and equal debates. Democracy is coming . . . to the U.S.A.

What: RALLY TO #OCCUPYtheCPD with Jill Stein, Cheri Honkala, Lee Camp, and George Martinez
When: MONDAY, OCTOBER 15th at 7pm
Where: SULLIVAN HALL, 214 Sullivan St, NYC
(btw. W 3rd and Bleecker; subway: W 4th, Houston, or Bleecker)

   7:00-10:00pm
   Doors open at 6:30pm

Admission: Sliding scale donation $10 on up ($2500 maximum allowed by law)

We need volunteers to help us promote this exciting event! If you can make calls to Jill Stein supporters, put up event posters, or help with outreach in any way, please email Jill Stein for President organizer Charlie Hoyt at hoytcha [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "NYC volunteer" and a brief description of your availability.

See you at the rally in NYC!