inspiration Archives - Mark & Phil

Jul 08
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Help Us Identify the Lobbyists – Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Posted by | Activism, Idea, Inspiration | No Comments

Here’s an ingenious idea from the folks over at the Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group, Help us identify the lobbyists.

On May 11, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Subcommittee held a hearing on the proposed AT&T and T-Mobile merger. Titled “Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?” the hearing was concerned with possible antitrust issues, questions of competition, access to wireless service, rising costs and the loss of jobs.

Of course, Washington lobbyists had their own concerns and not surprisingly, the room was packed. In concert with National Journal, we at Sunlight decided to turn the cameras around 180 degrees to see who was watching the hearing. Our hope is that you can help us identify D.C.’s power brokers and assorted lobbyists who have an interest in influencing the Senate’s view on the proposed merger.

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Here are some of the folks that have already been identified. We love this kind of activism to really put a spin on who’s lobbying whom.

Checkout for more photos.

 

Featured image from Kevin Dooley on Flickr.

May 29
0

RIP Gil Scott Heron, An Inspirational Agent of Change

Posted by | Inspiration | No Comments

Like every morning during the summer of 2000, I woke up in my normal way: took a shower, had a bowl of cereal, got dressed, and then stepped outside into the brisk morning summer air of Lake Ontario to wait for my friend Tim to pick me up for our daily commute to work. Everything about this morning seemed to be rather routine, that was until Tim pulled up. I opened the door to his early ’90′s Blue VW Passat and as I stepped inside to sit down I immediately started to hear the baseline of what was to be a song that would forever remain as a catalyst for me to do good. That song was Gil Scott Heron’s, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

I had just graduated from college and was working at a web design studio in Upstate New York. It was a new period of my life and for the first time I had truly felt empowered that I could create change in the world. The words that Mr. Heron sung struck me deep in my soul and to this day I still listen to his song to renew the passion I have for building a brighter future for our world. In fact, his song was one of the things that motivated us to start Mark & Phil.

I was saddened to hear that Gil Scott Heron passed away this weekend.

If you have never heard The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, or if you just need a refresher, then I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to this video below (disregard the visuals) and really think about the message he is giving to all of us. Mr. Heron will forever be missed and I will walk the rest of my life knowing that he was a major factor in getting me to the point I am at today. Rest in peace kind sir.

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