We are firing on all levels here at COP 24/7 with more of our special brand of news, views, mash-up's and WTF moments. The 24/7 news cycles both offline and online are teeming with so many items to choose from and to comment on that its just maddening to say the least! As you can see, COP24/7 has freshen up our look while behind the scenes we are working on some new gadgets and gizmos to make your visits more engaging. We've added Google's Adsense program which offers a variety of advertisements that "trends" with our daily content. This was added to monetize this platform as a means of support to produce it and we will be adding other methods which will allow our readers outlets to discover products and services that will become of apart of our revenue sharing initiative. Believe it or not, COP 24/7 needs monetary support to take it to the next level and we hope that our readers will join us in that effort. When we review our statistics via Google Analytics, we learn a variety of important marketing elements including where are readers are coming from, what they appear to be interested in and when they leave this site. All of this gives us the data necessary to chart our future as well as make a case to any interested marketers on how valuable our readers would be to their markets. While working this angle in numerous streams we ensure that our privacy policy is in full effect across the board. With all that said, let's get moving with the latest from COP 24/7!
Pride in the City?
Even though we know that the holidays are right over the horizon, COP 24/7 has been asked the following question: "WTF is up with gay pride in Little Rock and what's being planned for 2012?" Really!? We're glad that you ask, thank you and the answer is a resounding: "we don't know because there's no longer an entity designed to do anything directly about it." That's it in a nutshell folks. In 2009 this forum joined forces with other notable locals to produce a gay picnic in Allsopp Park that was greatly received and ballyhooed for the moment. There was suppose to be another big tent event similar to Pride 2007 at the Rivermarket but it was never materialized. As usual with planning any event, there were plenty of opinions to go around and as we've stated more than we care, always some people ready to deflate what ever the outcome. Nevertheless, that venture was seen as a possible step off to reviving pride in the city after two consecutive years of debacles from Capital Pride which has imploded and withered away. It's a fact that the group suffered from infighting, poor leadership, ego's a-go-go and the "us and "them" divisions that has torpedoed so many organizations and various other endeavors. Over the life of this forum we've been both cheerleader and heckler about pride events basically because we believe that this city should be able to produce something that we can truly be "proud" of instead of yet another "repeat" of past offerings. Yet this can't happen unless, there are willing, capable, able and committed persons ready to step forward without hidden agendas to work for the best outcomes. Paramount to that need is also the other significant element of "CASH" to make it happen and locals who will turn out to support it. So for the reader who wanted to know "WTF is up with pride?," we'll the final answer is "WTF is anybody doing about it?" Wanna check out what was going down in 2007 here's a YT link: http://youtu.be/EUptXkvTECA
Occupying Little Rock: A Day of Action
It's been about 30 days and counting for the OLR mash up that's housed adjacent to the downtown post office and the sounds of the I-30 expressway. Last evening at the Clinton complex the group went mainstream sort of while trying to explain to folk the who, what, where and why they are encamped nearby. Even though I didn't get a chance to actually attend, but through the power of video and that smart high speed technology I watched a replay courtesy of the Clinton website. What I gather from their message is so simple because I expouse this every day: ENGAGE yourself with your government! Today they are calling for a "day of action" and I'm not sure what there plans are but I'm doing my day of action "everyday." It's each of our own personal responsibilities to know who is affecting our daily lives and what policies are they enacting which are not in our best interest. What everyone should be doing is "occupying" a position on how we can demand that our policymakers don't disregard our voices in matters of state. Especially as the clock ticks away with the "super committee" behind closed doors trying to fix our current budget mess. Its vital that we as the electorate continue to write letters, e-mails, clogged the phones and call out our leaders on the grid lock that has the country by the balls. We must face facts that many of our systems are out of whack meanwhile our infrastructure such as roads, bridges, sewers and electrical grid are in need of serious attention. The healthcare system utilizing both Medicare and Medicaid is being assaulted with fraud and cost upticks. We know what needs to be done and if our normal means of engaging our politicos isn't working, then it appears as this forum has suggested many times before, "it was time for the pitch forks and torches" to come calling on Capital Hill and the White House. As the political season ramps up, get busy with occupying your mind with empowerment and enlightenment.
Obama Administration Engages LGBTQ Community
The Office of Public Engagement is the open front door to the White House is the opening statement on the White House website. Formerly known as the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs, this was another of the Obama's administrations salvos into the LGBTQ community including naming Jeremey Bernard as first openly gay social secretary.
The Office of Public Engagement is the embodiment of the President’s goal of making government inclusive, transparent, accountable and responsible.
We create and coordinate opportunities for direct dialogue between the Obama Administration and the American public, while bringing new voices to the table and ensuring that everyone can participate and inform the work of the President.
The Office of Public Engagement helps open the two-way dialogue, ensuring that the issues impacting our nation’s proud and diverse communities have a receptive team dedicated to making their voices heard within the Administration, and even more importantly helping their concerns be translated into action by the appropriate bodies of the Federal Government.
As part of making the Government accessible to its citizens, the Office of Public Engagement acts as a point of coordination for public speaking engagement for the Administration and the various departments of the Executive Offices of the President. The Office of Public Engagement removes obstacles and barriers for engagement and works to improve public awareness and involvement in the work of the Administration.
Together, side by side with the citizens who have demanded a government they can be a part of, a government that works, The Office of Public Engagement will build the open and transparent government President Barack Obama has promised. Heres a link: www.whitehouse.gov/lgbt
Pride in the City?
Even though we know that the holidays are right over the horizon, COP 24/7 has been asked the following question: "WTF is up with gay pride in Little Rock and what's being planned for 2012?" Really!? We're glad that you ask, thank you and the answer is a resounding: "we don't know because there's no longer an entity designed to do anything directly about it." That's it in a nutshell folks. In 2009 this forum joined forces with other notable locals to produce a gay picnic in Allsopp Park that was greatly received and ballyhooed for the moment. There was suppose to be another big tent event similar to Pride 2007 at the Rivermarket but it was never materialized. As usual with planning any event, there were plenty of opinions to go around and as we've stated more than we care, always some people ready to deflate what ever the outcome. Nevertheless, that venture was seen as a possible step off to reviving pride in the city after two consecutive years of debacles from Capital Pride which has imploded and withered away. It's a fact that the group suffered from infighting, poor leadership, ego's a-go-go and the "us and "them" divisions that has torpedoed so many organizations and various other endeavors. Over the life of this forum we've been both cheerleader and heckler about pride events basically because we believe that this city should be able to produce something that we can truly be "proud" of instead of yet another "repeat" of past offerings. Yet this can't happen unless, there are willing, capable, able and committed persons ready to step forward without hidden agendas to work for the best outcomes. Paramount to that need is also the other significant element of "CASH" to make it happen and locals who will turn out to support it. So for the reader who wanted to know "WTF is up with pride?," we'll the final answer is "WTF is anybody doing about it?" Wanna check out what was going down in 2007 here's a YT link: http://youtu.be/EUptXkvTECA Occupying Little Rock: A Day of Action
It's been about 30 days and counting for the OLR mash up that's housed adjacent to the downtown post office and the sounds of the I-30 expressway. Last evening at the Clinton complex the group went mainstream sort of while trying to explain to folk the who, what, where and why they are encamped nearby. Even though I didn't get a chance to actually attend, but through the power of video and that smart high speed technology I watched a replay courtesy of the Clinton website. What I gather from their message is so simple because I expouse this every day: ENGAGE yourself with your government! Today they are calling for a "day of action" and I'm not sure what there plans are but I'm doing my day of action "everyday." It's each of our own personal responsibilities to know who is affecting our daily lives and what policies are they enacting which are not in our best interest. What everyone should be doing is "occupying" a position on how we can demand that our policymakers don't disregard our voices in matters of state. Especially as the clock ticks away with the "super committee" behind closed doors trying to fix our current budget mess. Its vital that we as the electorate continue to write letters, e-mails, clogged the phones and call out our leaders on the grid lock that has the country by the balls. We must face facts that many of our systems are out of whack meanwhile our infrastructure such as roads, bridges, sewers and electrical grid are in need of serious attention. The healthcare system utilizing both Medicare and Medicaid is being assaulted with fraud and cost upticks. We know what needs to be done and if our normal means of engaging our politicos isn't working, then it appears as this forum has suggested many times before, "it was time for the pitch forks and torches" to come calling on Capital Hill and the White House. As the political season ramps up, get busy with occupying your mind with empowerment and enlightenment.
Obama Administration Engages LGBTQ Community
The Office of Public Engagement is the embodiment of the President’s goal of making government inclusive, transparent, accountable and responsible.
We create and coordinate opportunities for direct dialogue between the Obama Administration and the American public, while bringing new voices to the table and ensuring that everyone can participate and inform the work of the President.
The Office of Public Engagement helps open the two-way dialogue, ensuring that the issues impacting our nation’s proud and diverse communities have a receptive team dedicated to making their voices heard within the Administration, and even more importantly helping their concerns be translated into action by the appropriate bodies of the Federal Government.
As part of making the Government accessible to its citizens, the Office of Public Engagement acts as a point of coordination for public speaking engagement for the Administration and the various departments of the Executive Offices of the President. The Office of Public Engagement removes obstacles and barriers for engagement and works to improve public awareness and involvement in the work of the Administration.
Together, side by side with the citizens who have demanded a government they can be a part of, a government that works, The Office of Public Engagement will build the open and transparent government President Barack Obama has promised. Heres a link: www.whitehouse.gov/lgbt
2 comments:
Great blog! I’ve just added it to bookmarks.
I was at the Little Rock Pride picnic in 2009. It was a lot of fun. Very nice to see people I hadn't seen for many years. I hope Little Rock can get something going again for Pride. And, hopefully during the summer when I'm out in Arkansas next. ;-)
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