The Roused Rabble

Steal the Election

2008-10-25T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sacred Grounds: 16 August, 2008: Anytown USA

2008-08-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

Cheap City Gig This Thursday, May 8th

2008-05-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

War Is A Disease

2007-05-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Performed for the first time - Palm Desert, CA - April, 2007

Crazy Shit Mang

2007-05-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is the work of Jesse and his brother Jeremy. Sessions at their old house on 537 Shoemaker. Some of the first of their recorded collaboration. The only backup disk of the tracks was partially destroyed, but not before a mix was made (to "analog" tape, no less)...mastering-like touches, and then the horrific mangling process of encoding for your mp3 listening pleasure.

We used:
drum kit
tabla
boss dr. sample
roland keyboard
arp oddysey
flutophone
the tog wheel on a roland vs880
tamboor

This lone mix is very much about data. The drum tracks had thankfully been backed up, and with our persistence, they have given birth to a whole new song ("This") which is coming at you soon.

Remembering Camp Casey '05

2007-03-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

Presidential Boycott

2007-02-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

I am hereby announcing a boycott of 2008 presidential politics. It is far too early for us to become hypnotized by the glittering horse race infomercial and ongoing reality series from which we tend to learn about our potential presidents to be. Haven’t we just wiped the sweat from our brow after the dash of ’06? Have we already forgotten the message we so furiously sent to Congress? What is the point of so much effort if we now fail to hold our representatives accountable?

The media has been yapping about Hillary for years already. The noise machine will still be roaring about Rudy’s Oscar-worthy performance on 9/11, postulating about how black Barack is, or else sniffing around in the underpants of “youthful indiscretions” that one candidate or another may or may not have undertaken. You’ll get all your star-studded fund raisers, your smear ads and your inspiring sound bites from the stump. But who can endure a full twenty months of presidential paparazzi? Now is the moment for our legislators to take the lead – not to be upstaged by the pageantry further up Pennsylvania Avenue.

There will be plenty of time for obsessing upon the White House Lotto just around the bend. Right now my governmental GPS is trained on the Capitol, where our employees there have the power to do so much. From ending the occupation of Iraq, to addressing the issue of universal health care, to restoring the respect that Americans once enjoyed abroad, it is time for Congress to step up and assert its Constitutional authority. Our nation was born out of righteous rebellion against a monarchy, remember? It’s time to walk the walk.

Read the Constitution. The 110th Congress has a lot of work to do. There are committee hearings to be heard, and subpoenas to be issued. How about those unlawful Presidential Signing Statements, or all that illegal domestic spying, or the treasonous outing of a non-official cover CIA agent and the “company” for whom she worked investigating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction? The Bill of Rights can still be spared extinction, and the Constitution explicitly provides the remedy for lawbreaking at the highest levels of the Executive Branch.

An overhaul of the election process – how it is financed, how it is tallied, and an honest look at how the Electoral College holds up democratically – is an urgently necessary reform that will likely be welcomed by constituents all across the political spectrum. Future presidential inaugurations would become more palatable if they are they were the result of elections that we could confidently call honest and accurate.

Pay no attention to the rumble of the motorcade. Concentrate instead on memorizing your Congressperson’s phone number in Washington, DC. Program it into your phone, and use it every day. Send them faxes and visit their district offices. We must learn to vote with our bodies and with our dollars, in addition to our annual November exercise at the ballot box.

The art and science of distraction are powerful forces. It is virtually redundant to lament the prurient fixations of the 24-hour news cycle. Does anyone remember Chandra Levy? Gary Condit? While George W. Bush was ignoring the August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Brief (with the catchy heading, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US"), our attentions were all so innocently glued to the sex and violence with which cable news had preoccupied us. Nothing like an affair with the intern to give a sordid story some legs.

There is reason to worry about the current Anna Nicole Smith mania. One can’t help wondering what is being carefully buried underneath the relentless coverage of a runaway bride or a Lacy Peterson. As the Bush administration rattles its sabers in the direction of Iran, we all know that Britney shaved her head, but how many of us can find the Straits of Hormuz on a map?

It’s difficult to beat back the cynicism each year when the Christmas shopping season begins earlier and earlier, creeping its way toward summer. So why are we being subjected to the same phenomenon with presidential elections? There are far more pressing issues that require our attention. We must work that much harder, then, to remain focused on making sure the folks we’ve already elected are doing the job we expect them to do.

As a result, I solemnly pledge not to consume media in any form regarding the election of 2008. This will include both traditional and new media, extending to my decision not to read email or engage discussion of the topic. No blogs, no polls, and no endorsements. All such information will be filed appropriately – in the order it was received – into the don’t-be-distracted-so-soon section of my library.

After we squeeze some legislative juice out of the new Congress, I’ll be happy to reevaluate my position. In the meantime, don’t even think of asking me for a campaign donation.

My Favorite Road in Texas

2006-12-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

This was spotted on US Route 84 earlier in the week, in McLennan County, Texas

For Your Visual Review

2006-11-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

Photos by Ward Reilly

Photos by Ward Reilly

The Peace Machine Rolls On

2006-11-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

Just because you haven’t been hearing from me doesn’t mean I haven’t been working the country on your behalf. Since hitting the road on October 26, Dennis Kyne and I have been singing and shouting on the street corner in Sacramento, over the airwaves in Phoenix, through the gates of the White House, across Independence Mall in Philadelphia, atop the IVAW bus and from the stage at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and among war resisters, veterans, and other assorted patriots gathered around the campfire in Slidell, Louisiana.

Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War are rehabilitating houses in the New Orleans area, in cooperation with the Arabi Wrecking Krewe. Check out some video set to the tune of our newest track, “In America,” which we wrote and recorded all in one day over at Ward Reilly’s Peace Project Studio in Baton Rouge.

And while you’re patting your back about your role in sending the Republican oligarchy home from DC, and getting ready to hound the Democrats to listen to the voice of the people, take a stroll down recent memory lane to an event that just may have swung the election that knocked George “Macaca” Allen out of the Senate.

The day before the election we decided to greet the distinguished racist from the Commonwealth of Virginia as he dismounted for a whistle-stop appearance at the Vienna Metro station. An angelic sponsor had infused us with some funding for this unrehearsed addendum to our itinerary. We jumped onto the Beltway from Silver Spring in time to be there before 7:00 am, where we proceeded to disrupt Allen’s photo op with our signs and our unruly behavior.

Rush hour had begun. I was slithering my way into the camera shot with “Warmongers will not get my vote” on a posterboard. Cindy Sheehan was working her magic amongst the people and the press. The repetitive shouts of, “Macaca ” and “the troops hate you” had clearly rattled the soon-to-be-defeated Senator, as was clear from the look in his eye. I was close enough to see something resembling fear on his face until his paid operatives physically removed me from the mini-gaggle of cameras. George Allen retreated after about five minutes, and went on to lose the election by less than ten thousand votes.

Who’s to say how many Virginians saw Allen’s losing look on their TV box that day, and then took that image to the polls with them and sent him packing? We’ll accept a dash of the credit in that particularly pivotal race, if for no other reason than to prove the point that ordinary citizens can make a difference when the opportunity presents itself. We went the path of guerilla politicking this time, where maybe you went the route of clicking the Paypal button for a candidate or two. Again, give yourselves a round of applause.

We’ve got a spot where you can support our efforts in celebrating the wave of resistance that is rippling through the United States military. I will continue to remind you at cleverly chosen intervals about how you can support our mosaic of projects. We’re not finished yet.

For those who have showered me with your praise and thanks and encouragement, consider stepping it up a notch. We’ve covered a lot of miles lately, with more ahead. Help us out with whatever you can - call it gas money or some other benevolent phrase that suits you. I’ve not been much in the habit of asking for money, so when I do you can be sure it’s for a worthy cause. Give early and often.

2006-10-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

VALET 06: Vem Bestämmer?

All the way from Sweden, some video depicting our newest Hitler - to the tune of your favourite commiePinkoTraitorSingerSongwriterAgitator

Day 11 - Starving for Peace

2006-07-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

I've been starving for peace - quite literally - having made my way through Day 11 without food, as I am participating in the Troops Home Fast. We have sat vigil outside the White House since the Fourth of July, and folks across the country and around the world are fasting as well. Here in DC we've mainained a presence in Lafayette Park every day, and have fanned out to Capitol Hill, to the studios of the sunday morning talk shows, and today to the Center for Creative Nonviolence to serve ice cream to the homeless.

I can't say I actually planned to go without food for this long. I was only staying long enough to fast for a few days - in solidarity - and then do a studio session with my friend Steven Capozzola. That was way back on Day 3, when the hunger for actual food was more or less gone, but the aroma of edibles could still trigger my brain into acting hungry. Steven has been hosting me here in DC for the duration, and I have vicariously eaten a few meals by watching him eat. The chocolate that I was scooping this afternoon became a bit tempting, but I had to settle for getting it all over my shirt.

My diet is water, the occasional Vitamin Water (for the electrolytes), and a concoction whose recipe I picked up from Dick Gregory that contains a gallon of water, juice of 8 lemons (or is it 6?), and some maple syrup. The proper recipe calls for some cayenne pepper, but the store nearest by doesn't have it. Lemonade, so to speak.

So I'm feeling good, but with a decidedly slow profile. I go down to Lafayette Park every day around 10am, except for yesterday when we had a press conference at Congress with members of the Out of Iraq Caucus Barbara Lee (my representative in Oakland). Maxine Waters, Lynn Woolsey, Cynthia McKinney, and Dennis Kucinich Immediately after, I spent the early afternoon doing some grassroots lobbying in the Cannon Building with Maria, who lives in DC and came by for a few days to support our cause. Here's a photo of me from yesterday, after a brief nap back at the park latr in the day. It's shot by this guy Elvert, who comes by pretty frequently to take pictures of us for his blog

On Tuesday, which would've been Day 8, I did a call in to the Will and Willie Show, on the San Francisco Air America Radio affiliate KQKE (The Quake). You can stream or podcast, apparently.

I've been moving slowly, but playing a bunch of music (though my endurance is crap at this stage). I bring my guitar to the White House every day, and have serenaded the tourists on occasion, in addition to playing my newest song to the fasters, which was written just last week and is called Hunger is Power. There's a video that Mary shot of me singing it along with the Code Pink chorus earlier this week, which I hope to get my hands upon shortly. Democracy Now has it, but I don't know that they've aired it. And Scott Galindez from Truthout also filmed me doing it yesterday.

The lyrics:

Ask me why I'm fasting
Ask me why I care
Ask yourself, why don't you
How long till you get here

We know war is murder
We know war is wrong
C'mon you've got the spirit
You've known it all along

THERE'S POWER IN HUNGER
AND HUNGER IS POWER
WE'RE GROWING STRONGER
STRONGER EVERY HOUR

Ask me why I'm starving
Why I choose to shrink
With my sisters and my brothers
A raging sea of pink

Get in touch with Gandhi
Can you imagine peace
Watch us bring this war machine
Right down to its knees

THERE'S POWER IN HUNGER
AND HUNGER IS POWER
WE'RE GROWING STRONGER
STRONGER EVERY HOUR

You can't intimidate us
With your big police
Your permits and your handcuffs
Are just part of war's disease

So ask me why I'm fasting
Ask me why I care
And ask yourself another time
How long till you get here

THERE'S POWER IN HUNGER
AND HUNGER IS POWER
WE'RE GROWING STRONGER
STRONGER EVERY HOUR

There are over 4,000 people signed up world wide, and I encourage you to join with us in whatever way you can. Fast once a week. Put a paper plate in your window with a message like "Starving for Peace." Write to your elected representatives and urge them to vote to end the occupation of Iraq, or better yet, deliver the letters in person if you can. There are tons of creative ways - c'mon...you can come up with something (like donating unused frequent flyer miles to someone who wants to join us in DC, or...).

Good ole CIA

2006-01-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

With all the digital sleuthing and medieval rendition of today's secret government, it's refreshing to unearth the brief insight that Dana Priest's piece in the Washington Post provides into the occasionally lifeless byproduct of the Neocon(vict)'s gulag scheme:

The agency is working to establish procedures in the event a prisoner dies in custody. One proposal circulating among mid-level officers calls for rushing in a CIA pathologist to perform an autopsy and then quickly burning the body, according to two sources.

Cheney vs. Cholera

2005-12-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

I read a lot...and I laugh a lot too. It's less often that the two happen at the same time.

An exception just occured while I was reading Barry Crimmins' year-end piece in the Boston Phoenix, and got to this line: Dick Cheney is now trailing cholera in opinion surveys.

Spies vs. Provocateurs

2005-12-22T13:09:00.000-08:00

After reading this New York Times article about police infiltration of protests, I had to preach a bit to the choir:

I'm not a lawyer (Condoleeza said it numerous times on Meet The Press, so I'll say it once), but a few things seem obvious to me:

With all the spying and snooping and such, I have no doubt that police departments large and small are engaged in infiltration of peace groups, demonstrations, etc. Having "smiled for the camera" many times myself, I have come to accept this. If there's a "list," then I'm definitely on it. Constitutionality aside, I accept this as fact (so go ahead, try and steal my identity, bad credit, etc.).

I do however recognize a huge difference between spying on protesters (passively, one might argue, just listening, videotaping, etc.) and ACTIVELY instigating or influencing events. It's one thing for the authorities to surveil a suspected terrorist (I'm on the lawful side in believing that it should be legal - court order, non-impeachable-style). It's another thing entirely when law enforcement stages events (from faking the handcuffs to blowing things up) in order to entrap the "bad guys."

When a regular citizen "mole" slips into, say, a Camp Casey event, with provocateur intentions - though I might detest their motives, I still recognize their right to do so, and even admire their bravery a little. If they are doing this as a cititzen, activist, civilian - OK - we have peacekeepers to deal with that. But when a government official is the one doing it, they areVIOLATING EVERYONE'S RIGHTS, including their own. This is what must be stopped. This is why the NYTimes article has me fuming.

Seven of the Prairie Chapel 12, on stage at Camp Casey II

2005-12-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Reverend Johnson and Jesse Dyen

2005-11-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

Reverend Peter Johnson of Dallas (civil rights activist who was the youngest member of Rev. Martin Luther King's SCLC crowd), telling me I was "downright funky" shortly after I performed Sons & Daughters at Camp Casey II in August.

Photo by Jeannine White, who happened to witness the moment.

Sunday Morning Appearances

2005-11-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

A few points from today's programs:

Remember Cheney's "I don't know Joe Wilson. I've never met Joe Wilson." comment on Meet the Press, back in the early carefree days when he and his pals thought Aschcroft's broom would be deft enough to sweep the whole matter into obscurity (and national security, no doubt).

Regarding Wilkerson, Wolf cut him off as soon as he mentioned James Bamford's Rolling Stone article that connects some dots between the Rendon Group, Chalabi and the INC, and such. I found that interesting timing (I missed Wolf v Rummy, so perhaps he had time to be "reprogrammed" in the exective green room during the break).

Rummy was also on Face the Nation, and when he pulled his I-don't-read-or-write-anything-down bit so as to duck any substantive comment on Rep. Murtha's proposal or the British rules ruckus in the House this week (he attributed his ignorance to being on a plane from Australia) , but then had a quick comment on BushClellan's response. Bob Scheiffer got an aside in there under his breath (transcript, anyone?) noting that he was incommunicado in one instance, and in the loop in the other instance. Perhaps this relates somehow to his "airheadtight" theory about known knowns and unknown knowns, which still puzzles philosophers worldwide.

Last, about the timing of Wilkerson's coming out party. I agree that the mute button on the microphone has been heavily guarded, and that we should applaud him not just for his courage, but also for his intellect and his directness.

There were some who resigned early. Take the example of Ann Wright, who resigned from the State Department around the time Colin Powell made his credibility-busting U.N. speech. She has since gone on to be instrumental in the Camp Casey movement, and has been found heckling Condoleeza Rice at Senate Hearings (on the rare day she actually visits the Hill), and protesting Powell at university speaking engagements.

A Brief Exchange with the Presidential Autobot

2005-11-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

This morning I exercised my civic duty and wrote a letter to the President. The following correspondence ensued:

11:22 AM
comments@whitehouse.gov wrote:

On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence. We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions. Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House is unable to respond to every message, and therefore this response is an autoreply.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

Re: autoreply from President Bush
12:21 PM
jesse@jessedyen.com wrote:

On behalf of myself, Jesse Dyen, thank you for your autoreply. I appreciate hearing from an automated response system, which leaves me confident that my views and suggestions are welcomed and valued. Due to the large volume of propaganda received, Jesse Dyen is unable not to reply to this message, and therefore this response is a human reply.

Thank you for taking the time to ensure that your autoreply was grammatically correct.

12:24 PM
comments@whitehouse.gov wrote:
On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence. We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions. Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House is unable to respond to every message, and therefore this response is an autoreply.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

Re: Re: autoreply from President Bush
12:41 PM
jesse@jessedyen.com wrote:

While I admire the consistency and trustworthiness of your identical autoreply message, I would appreciate a slightly more human response from President Bush. Is it possible that you have an autoreply message that offers at least some variation from the previous one?

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request.

...I am still awaiting a response.

Somewhere Past Corporeality

2005-11-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

In the interim I pick up my acoustic guitar, which I have been plugging into an old Yamaha solid state amp. I effortlessly breeze through the complex chordal roadmap that is the set of material that I am currently rehearsing, in preparation for a gig I may never play.

Time has no hold on me during these moments. As long as all of my telephones keep their faces shut, as is thankfully the case today, I am able to reach something resembling bliss. It is a place somewhere just outside the body.

So many tales of the out-of-body experience are marked by visual cues such as hovering and seeing oneself below. Since mine is a product of music – of sound and vibration - the sensation is more ears than eyes. It is hearing myself, rather than seeing myself.

Anyone who creates music, unless they’re an incredibly pompous ass, has at least enough humility to admit (at least to oneself) that the inspiration or muse or mojo or whatever comes from somewhere. Specifically, somewhere other than oneself. Carlos Santana once said something about music flowing through you, with which I wholeheartedly agree.

So I’m in my room, blazing through the latest-and-greatest song list, slipping in and out of what most people would call consciousness. The music is coming from somewhere just beyond my flesh and bone, and I am hearing it as it comes out into the air, which is also somewhere past corporeality. I am not only in those two places at once, but I am also connected to my body at least enough to strum and fret and push air through my vocal chords.

This is possible in performance situations, but it takes on an additional, perhaps dangerous, element. Alone, there is less risk, sure, but also less distraction. In a café or theatre, there is enormous potential, like the possibility that tonight might be one of those magic encounters where both the performer and the audience are able to let go of their attachments and share something memorable.

It means the performer has to make it into that special place, a feat that is not so simple as merely whispering a secret password. It takes focus, some handy shortcuts, proper breathing, a whole lot of willingness to fail, sheer luck – a boatload of factors.

On the audience side, when was the last time you were at a concert, movie, meeting, church service, etc., and you couldn’t for the life of you pay attention to what was going on in front of you. Whether it’s problems with the spouse, upset stomach, excitement about an upcoming vacation, or trying to remember if you locked the gun closet, there are so many ways an audience member can be distracted.

Add to that that in a public place, it may be too cold or hot. There may be noise from the street outside. Then multiply by however many people make up the audience.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I am not good with calendars and clocks.

For Your Records:

2005-10-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

A Constituent Requests Assistance

2005-10-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 28, 2005

Senator Diane Feinstein
1 Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104
Voice: 415-393-0707
FAX: 415 249-4785

Senator Feinstein,

More than 2,000 American soldiers are dead. Tens of thousands are wounded; and many will be forever plagued by post traumatic stress, or the loss of legs, hands, and eyes. There is no official count as to how many citizens of Iraq have been killed, maimed, or orphaned. This will remain a blemish on our nation’s history, and you share in the responsibility for it.

You supported the war in Iraq from the beginning, either because you like many of your colleagues were conned into your vote by the lies of the Bush Administration, or because the industry of war itself benefits you financially. To be honest, I stopped listening to you after your support of the resolution authorizing the President to wage war. At the time you conceded that you were voting against the tide of your constituents, and I promptly wrote to inform you that you would never again receive my vote for any office.

Have you met with Cindy Sheehan yet? Have you answered her elemental question? What is the noble cause for which her son Casey died? And don’t try to sneak a press statement out either. You need to look her in the eye and answer her. The families of our fallen soldiers demand and deserve the truth.

By the way, I was arrested with Cindy and nearly 400 others on September 26, 2005 in front of the White House, and issued a citation for demonstrating without a permit. I cannot afford to travel to Washington for my November court date, and I do not wish to plead guilty because I am not guilty of anything more than participating in civil disobedience alongside my fellow citizens – people who feel a moral obligation to engage in and support nonviolent protest against an illegal and immoral war.

You can begin to redeem yourself by helping me out with my ticket. It’s the least you can do, really. I’m sure you know people…

And then have the guts to admit that you were wrong. Change your tune about the greedily conceived and incompetently executed war in Iraq, and tell the American people that we should bring the troops home now. It’s the only way to win back my vote.

I will deliver copies of my citation and other legal documents to your San Francisco District office, so that you might best be able to assist me. The case is UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS JESSE DYEN, violation #P0546949.

Please do not reply to me with one of your canned responses. I am a constituent with a big mouth.

Sincerely,
Jesse Dyen
Oakland, CA

PS I have since heard that you told David Welna of National Public Radio that you would have voted differently had you known then what you know now. A good first step, I suppose. I would love to hear you elaborate on that.

Message Discipline - A Personal Account

2005-10-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have given a great deal of thought to the topic of message discipline, and to the question of how inclusive or exclusive the antiwar movement should be. This is an extremely important issue, and so it is incumbent upon all of us to be as well informed and educated as possible, both about the various facts and lies related to the war, as well as about the organizations that organize or participate in the movement to end it.

It is with this in mind that I would like to present two examples of my own interactions with a couple of these groups.

I was at very early organizing meeting, shortly after September 11, 2001, of people who were concerned about the United States government's official response to the horrible and devastating attacks upon our soil. I was glad that a critical mass was quickly developing, and I was eager to participate in the movement. It was a passionate gathering of people and an emotional release for the folks who attended.

It was also an early inkling of the problems that we would soon face. It was quickly obvious that there were a number of people who intended to forcefully inject their issues and causes into the debate. I remember there being argument about the very name of the coalition that would become International A.N.S.W.E.R., and I remember my friend Lisa remarking to me that she was a bit turned off by the anti-Israel rhetoric. Nevertheless, I decided to give them a chance.

As the rush to war in Iraq was in full swing, and people were taking to the streets in cities around the world in protest, I attended an A.N.S.W.E.R.-sponsored march and rally in San Francisco. Both the size and the diversity of the turnout genuinely inspired me, and I was proud to be marching alongside such a colorful, creative, and dedicated group of people.

As the march made its turn off of Market Street and then another turn that would lead to the rally in front of City Hall, I began to hear people on bullhorns, thanking everyone for being there and asking for donations. We were asked to drop our donations into any of the large buckets and bins that several volunteers were holding. They were all wearing the same T-shirts, so it was easy to identify them. I reached into my pocket and dug up what I deemed to be an appropriate amount of cash.

As I got close enough to see the shirts that the volunteers were wearing, I was instantly disturbed. They read, "Palestine - From River to Sea." For those who don't know what this means, the river is the Jordan, and the sea is the Mediterranean. This is a motto that is popular among those who would like nothing more than to see the state of Israel disappear off the face of the earth, and all of the Jews with it. I quickly stuffed my money back into my pocket.

I must mention that I am from a Jewish family, though not a very observant one. When asked about my religion, I generally reply jokingly that "my parents think I'm Jewish." I consider Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to be a bellicose hate-filled war criminal, which is pretty close to the way I view most of the Bush administration. I believe that the Palestinian people deserve their own sovereign nation as much as do the Israelis, but to lump all Jewish people in with Sharon's militarism would be as misleading and offensive as lumping all Americans into Bush's.

My feelings about Israel and Palestine, however, are not the point. The point is that on a day that began with such pride and determination, I ended up feeling as if I'd been had.

Fast forward to September 2005.

Still buzzing with the energy from Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas, I swiftly made my plans to go to Washington, DC. I had been performing my song, "Sons and Daughters" at some events in the Bay Area, and it was receiving the same overwhelmingly positive response that it received at Camp Casey. I decided to get in touch with the organizers of Operation Ceasefire, the concert that was planned for September 24th, to ask if I might perform my song. It was a longshot, I knew, and so I wasn't surprised when I got no response from United for Peace and Justice.

When I mentioned in an email to Brad Friedman, who had broadcast his Brad Show live from Crawford, that I was going to DC, he asked if I would be performing at the concert. When I told him that I had tried unsuccessfully to contact the organizers, he told me that he had an "in" with them, and that he would help me out. He wrote a wonderful recommendation to them, saying that I was a "must" for the show. I was grateful for his kind words, and optimistic that I might get to share my song with a larger group of people.

As I followed up, I reiterated that I asked for a mere four minutes on the stage, and that I would be happy to volunteer my time helping to set up the show, as I have a great deal of event production experience (it's my "day job," so to speak). I was told that the schedule was full, and that there was nothing that could be done.

I wasn't surprised, however, and I was content to bring my guitar and sing at the Camp Casey tent, along with the many other talented folks that I knew would be there. I even learned Erik Folkerth's "Prairie Chapel Road," knowing that it had been a favorite in Crawford. We musical folks combined our efforts, at various hours of the day and night throughout the weekend, and there ended up being a number of memorable moments and a generally good time for all involved.

On the day of the march, as we waited for hours to get started, Zac Barton tuned in to CSPAN radio and briefed us as to what was going on over at the stage, and when the march might actually get started. As she "re-broadcast" the various speeches, they seemed to be about everything EXCEPT the war in Iraq. When she told us that a speaker was talking about the Philippines, I joked that they didn't have four minutes for my song, which IS about the Iraq war, but they had plenty of time for just about everything else.

These events leave me with the simple conclusion that in order to focus the message; you have to be the organizer. If it's your event, then you control the microphone (or megaphone). If you are a guest, then you need to observe the wishes of the organizers. It is with this realization that one must decide which events to attend, and which organizations to support.

I came to Crawford to support Cindy Sheehan, and I left with a feeling of solidarity with Gold Star Families for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Veterans for Peace, as well as with those who took the time out of their lives to come to Camp Casey. I feel strongly that the combined message is exactly what is needed to end this war. As for the rest of what has been called the "Free Mumia" crowd, those who bring their own agendas and attempt to co-opt the masses into supporting or promoting them, I respect the causes (and I agree with many of them), but the timing is all wrong.

First we must end this war. Only then can we harness our momentum to attack the root causes of injustice that plague our nation and our planet.

Civil Disobedience at the White House

2005-09-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

I was among the folks who took part in the mass action of nonviolent civil disobedience in front of the White House on Monday, September 26. I was part of the Camp Casey affinity group, which participated alongside numerous other groups, well over a thousand people in all. A dozen or so of us carried tents that Ann Wright had bought along the Bring Them Home Now Tour, onto which we had written "Camp Ken," "Camp Patrick," and a number of other names.

I carried “Camp Gordon,” for Gordon Gentle, a Scottish soldier from the Royal Highland Fusiliers, killed by a roadside explosion in Basra in June of 2004. I know about him only because during a candlelight vigil on one of the last nights of our occupation of Crawford, Texas, chance had me place my candle beside a cross that bore his name. I decided to let his family know – whatever their position on the war might be - that he had been honored in this small but significant way. Turns out his mother, Rose Gentle, is anything but quiet about her story, and when I got in touch with her she let me know that she was coming to Washington for the antiwar events of this past week. She fit right in with her Amercian counterparts, the Gold Star Families For Peace, and the opportunity to spend some time with her was a high point for me.

It was Ann Wright’s idea to use the tents to bring Camp Casey right to the presidential doorstep. We marched alongside numerous other affinity groups, having met and rallied at the A.M.E. church. The police blocked the streets as we proceeded to the Ellipse, at which time our group briefly detoured to pick up our tents. As we approached the White House, the thick and loud crowd of supporters cheered us on. A man stopped me to pose a quick photograph, and I saw that he was with Rose Gentle. It was a proud moment to have my picture taken with one arm around her, and the other holding up the tent.

We carried the lightweight 5 x 7 tents inside the "you will be arrested” area, which was where the clergy and the military families had assembled to ask the White House to open up and meet with them. Rebekah and I eventually passed our tents back over the barricade to supporters, after we saw that the rest of the tents had already been passed back beyond the police barricade.

When the request for a meeting was refused, we all sat down and ignored the warning to disperse. There was some singing, some chanting, and some improvising on the part of the U.S. Park Police, who were caught unprepared for the number of people who were prepared to brave arrest.

They arrested Cindy Sheehan first. The mainstream media having gotten their money shot, went back to Hurricane Rita coverage. After filling a few paddy wagons, they brought in DC Metro buses to handle the rest of us. We were nearly 400 strong.

While we chanted and were slowly carted away, people passed out water and snacks, with one of the cops helping to bring water to us. Some cheered the people being arrested. My group was chanting "you've got the wrong guy" or "arrest bush" as people were handcuffed and taken away. Lisa Fithian organized a pee circle, enabling several women to fill improvised receptacles out of view of everyone except perhaps the snipers on the White House roof. I aided the cause by cutting off the top of a water bottle with a soda can tab as the circle tightened and was sealed with a banner.

Several folks lined themselves up, surrendering easily, but a bunch of us (Lauren, Rebekah, Lori, Debbie, and a few others) saw this as too sheepish for our taste. We decided to lock arms in a circle, and force the cops carry us to the buses that had pulled in front of much of the crowd. We did this with great pride in representing Camp Casey.

Three hours after Cindy was arrested, the independent media still had their cameras rolling. Scott from Truthout has some fine footage.

The police kept asking me if I was going to stand up. I let them know that I would not resist them, but that I would not get up. Two of them carried me away from our circle (our plan was to loosen our arm lock when the cops removed one of us by lifting us off of the ground), still in my sitting position, as I heard “arrest Bush, not Jesse” being shouted.

I think they tied my plastic handcuffs a little tight because of my refusal to stand up. This also happened to Lori, and perhaps others. Once incarcerated we were not mistreated and we remained cordial in our relationship with law enforcement. Each busload of folks had their own unique experience.

Fellow Ditch Witch and Camp Casey alumni Lauren Sullivan writes:

James has film of what happened next - the Camp Casey women started moshing on the bus, and when we started pogoing, the whole bus bounced up and down. Code Pink was arrested right behind us, and as they were put on the bus, they began jumping up and down too, which made it even crazier. It was so out of control they couldn't process us, and we all screamed out the windows all the way through DC, past Camp Casey on the mall, with people on the streets either staring or waving and cheering.

The buses were gender segregated. I sang my song “Sons and Daughters" on our bus as the cops began to take our photos, and we stomped our feet to keep rhythm. There were four guys who had dressed in orange prison jumpsuits for the occasion. When they led us (in small groups) to the bathroom, they cut off our plastic handcuffs. They then put our new cuffs on in front, rather than in back, making it slightly more comfortable, and enabling a number of people to slip their hands out.

Some of the women hid their cell phones in their bras. I hear that one group was able to order pizza to the Anacostia Park station. Our bus was given sandwiches and bottled water that tasted funny. We were allowed to roam around our bus at times, and at one point one of our officers held his cell phone up so that we could yell "hello" to his girlfriend as he explained why he still wasn't home at 2 in the morning. I overheard another officer saying that they had been completely unprepared for 400 people, and that he was going to buy a flat screen HDTV with all the overtime.

We spent at least eight hours on the bus. At one point I urged Nick Przybyla to pull the “stop requested” rope, which he gladly did. After having our citations written (for demonstrating without a permit), and after some other paperwork inefficiencies, we were taken off the buses and into holding areas. We were there for a number of hours, where the male and the female pens could at least see each other through a fence. People were singing, sleeping on the floor, and a few were still trying to get out of their handcuffs. After a few hours we proceeded on into the main building, where more documents were processed and we were thoroughly fingerprinted. The slow churning bureaucracy eventually had us sitting in a hallway, awaiting the return of our possessions. By this time, the cops wanted to go home as much as we did.

I was one of the last people released at about 4:30am. Cheryl (one of the first people arrested, who had already been sprung) was waiting for me outside the station grounds, wrapped in a blanket. A Camp Casey-esque system had been arranged, effectively taking care of us from the outside. Our support group (Elliot, Zac, Mary Ellen, James, Cheryl, Cree) had arranged shuttles, adapted to getting moved around by the police, and took phone calls. Many of us had written Elliot's number on our bodies, though I never needed to make the call. James was there in a flash to take us to Elliot’s, where there was beer and food waiting for us, and a sign welcoming the Camp Casey Detainees posted on the front door.

After a sleepy cab ride up to our hotel, I was left with enough time to pack my bags, have a shower, grab less than an hour of sleep, and then make for the Metro and my flight home. When we took off I could see the Camp Casey tent still standing at 15th St. and Constitution Ave. – in the shadow of the Washington Monument.

Rose Gentle, Gordon's Mother

2005-09-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Rose Gentle, and me carrying a tent with her son's name, as we marched to the gates of the White House.

CAMP CASEY III is alive

2005-09-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

The following is a report from Dennis: Casey III, day five: Four cities Five Days Red Cross was working on the internet getting people recognized when I woke this morning. The Bus has become an information portal, a reunion vehicle, and an office and home in the past five days. We are stretching out a little. We are establishing a cover for people to use the internet outside of the bus, and we are awaiting the arrival of equipment to establish permanent internet access for the shelter we are covering at this time. We have been told that it is inappropriate to call for equipment and funds to establish technological gear in these parishes. I hope everyone knows where we are working, the infrastructure for the work we are doing was not here. We are not sending out daily updates from a coffee shop. We are working from a 1977 Gillig Bus, that has thousands of dollars of modern technology on it. This is how we are making this mission happen. We need to duplicate this model. We are a four man crew, who picks up help along the way. There are a lot of communities who need to have basic needs attended to. This equipment was borrowed, begged, and paid for with donations that we have collected. And now we are intending to duplicate this model, and leave these communities armed with the appropriate technology to get people stabilized. Do not worry about the gear, we are leaving it here. Today we had a nice stream of arrivals. I did not get a look at James photos today, and we are hoping to start posting them soon. Gary, from www.plenty.org came in with another load of goods. James left with Gary and Ralph from the Plenty.org crew, and set off to pull some more people out of the swamp. If you want that work, it looks like James is going to stay on point in the struggle to keep people from dying in the toxic soup of New Orleans. I got to talk with Paul, from www.plenty.org, he arrived with Lenora, Katherine, Kara, Ralph and Gary. Plenty Inc., is over thirty years old and has been involved in disaster relief for as long. We are honored they arrived with such urgency and we are happy to say we will be working with them to assist the people in need after Katrina. Scott Johnson and Ben Breneman showed up today, and all I can say is, "thank goodness." Here is what these guys pulled off: They brought in a great deal of supplies. After we got settled, they broke camp with a truck load of supplies headed for Bogalusa. First attention to this community, and the connection also allowed us to look North for other under attended parishes. We see Franklinton and Slidell in the sights for tomorrow. Jaime took a hill full of goods in her truck to Folsom. Most of the goods were distributed, and we can say we believe Folsom is weathering the storm safely. If you hear differently please let us know at www.vfproadtrips.org/Katrina on the message board. Reunions are starting, people are coming to this shelter at Pine View Middle school from East Louisiana, the stories are not pretty. The daily distribution at Reverend Peter Atkins park continues in Covington, and today a shelter was recognized in Hammond. Craig stopped by and told us they needed toothbrushes and paste where they are housing two hundred evacuees. We gave them what we had and expect to have more provisions for them tomorrow. We have distributed every day in Covington, twice now in Folsom, today we introduced ourselves to Bogalusa and Hammond. Four cities in Five days. Andrea and Jeff, arrived this evening with a load of supplies they have collected since departing Camp Casey. With a van and a trailer in tow they set up camp. They are the fourth vehicle we have to perform distribution. This is going to be a major part of the infrastructure is the volunteers to drive and distribute. Many people say the shelters are served. OK, but not everybody is homeless, so they are not at the shelter. They, too, need these supplies. Andrea and Jeff are from the 9th Ward, New Orleans. Not knowing what kind of shape their house is in. Looks like James will get into the city with them tomorrow and we are hoping to establish that as the vein to feed the people in that region. So, if you want to meet Southern Louisiana, bring some supplies to this ditch and we will have a guide take you out to distribute yours and other provisions we are having sent as I write. Gordon took some video tape of the kids here at the shelter and the young man with cystic fibrosis loves the camera and wants to be a videographer. Community is being established between the sheltered and the volunteers. The bus is back from New Orleans, Gary from www.plenty.org reports that: Subcontractors are already here and locals are out of a job. There are a lot of people around who need immediate help, just a bottle of water or sandwich to get them down the road, Gary and the crew took a full bus load of water and goods and came back empty, they were able to stop in three communities. Food was distributed, In the Garden District, and French Quarter, as well as the Convention Center. Five Cities, Five days, the food is getting out, the food is needed. We need your help. We are calling on the world to come here and help. Go to the message board and let us know what you think we should do. www.vfproadtrips.org/katrina http://www.denniskyne.com Support the Truth Veterans For Peace Chapter 116 is going just that! Location: Pine View Middle School in Covington, LA. 1115 West 28th Street Covington, LA. 70434 Services: We are providing food, water, shelter, transportation, and supporting the Red Cross and the refugees. They have come from Slidell, New Orleans, inside Covington and other areas to the Pine View Middle School for help. Actions: We have gone into New Orleans and Pulled people out. We have distributed several tons of goods and needed services directly to the people of the effected areas. We have set up a Food Bank, Volunteer Camp, And Satellite Media Hub right next to the School. We use this as base camp to bring in volunteers & supplies from all points. We then organize it and distribute it into the communities we can reach. Resources: We have limited power, but we have more generators on the way. We have access to bathrooms with portable Johns coming. We have real cooking facilities and shower (1). We have wireless Internet access with more one the way. We have some cell phone service and it is improving. We have millions of people ready to help! Do We have you? Our mission: #1 Do No Harm #2 Support Each Other #3 Feed The People #4 Shelter The People #5 Give To The People #6 Rebuild Our Lives #7 Rebuild Our Cities #8 Rebuild Our Shores #9 Reclaim Our Humanity #10 Learn From Our Mistakes CALL TO ACTION: Who Wants To Help? We need trained Volunteers! NOW! We need Food, Water, Supplies, and Equipment, Transportation and Shipping. More will be posted as people sign up for jobs in Camp Casey Covington, LA. When jobs are filled by Volunteers They will post updates needs lists and give their comments as to the results. There is no time to waste, the storm clouds are returning, Thunder is rolling, the rain is falling and people are dying. We have set up a permanent Camp Casey at the Pine View Middle School, 1115 West 28th Street, Covington, LA. We are supporting The Red Cross with power and medical supplies and kitchen service, food bank, and distribution and Internet communications and trained medical personnel. DROP OFFS Volunteer Kitchen, Food Bank and Distribution Center Pine View Middle School 1115 West 28th Street Covington, LA. 70434 UPS & FEDEX Veterans For Peace Chapter 116 C/O 645 Kimbro Drive, Baton Rouge, LA. 70808 We are using the school to support Veterans For Peace hurricane relief efforts from Covington, LA. for the people of the region. This petition is to the US government to open closed military bases to house the Hurricane victims- please sign and pass on. Sign the petition

Rick Burnley, the poet in action

2005-09-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

A place for contemplation at the Crawford Peace House

2005-09-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

Sunset at Camp Casey II

2005-09-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

Tents pitched right along the property line

2005-09-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

Sumner Erickson and the Texcentrics

2005-09-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

Our new address

2005-09-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Bush compound is out there somewhere

2005-09-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

Bily blogs from the sound board

2005-09-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Bily Foster of Air America Phoenix, after hearing my song "Sons and Daughters" at our very first late night round table session the previous night, was the first to get it up on the web, which quickly led to some airplay of the tune. He is seen here, along with Scott from Truthout, Mari, Ian, Fish, and an unidentified onlooker.

Marcia Ball performs

2005-09-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Camp Casey II in its early stages

2005-09-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

Fred Mattlege, resident of Crawford, generously granted us access to an acre of his property...right next to the Secret Service checkpoint leading to the Bush "ranch." This massive tent (reminiscent of the Denver Airport) was allegedly the very one that was used for the Republican fundraiser days earlier. Thankfully Carmelo was on hand with his bell to ring out the heebie-jeebies, making way for what would become Camp Casey II

Conyers in '08

2005-07-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

If you don't know who John Conyers is, you should.

The Congressman (since 1965) from the 14th Congressional district of Michigan, and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee has been on the front lines of any number of constitutional battles for honesty, accountability, and protection of the rights of Americans. If you consider yourelf patriotic - whatever that may mean to you - John Conyers should be on your radar.

Read his letters to the President about the rights of voters and the counting of votes in 2004, or his questions about the Downing Street Memo. If history bores you, check out what he's requesting from President George W. Bush about PlameGate (or Rove-a-thon, treason-gate, etc.). Congressman Conyers is trailblazing the path into the belly of the beast. He is the only one directly (and too politely, if you ask me), officially asking questions of the President.

Check in at his website once in a while, if you know what's good for you. And I think johnconyersforpresident.com is still available.

Flashback to SF Mayoral Election Aftermath

2005-07-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Matt Gonzalez frequents the coffee shop where I spend what I like to call my morning “office hours.” It is there that I have come to recognize him, not as a city Supervisor, but as a familiar face in the neighborhood. It was only after he assumed the top city council position, and his photograph began to appear in the press, that I came to put the name and the face together. Until then he was just another neighborhood guy I would see on a semi-regular basis, perhaps with a passing smile or quick “good morning.” It was a moment of delight when I made the connection, as if to say, “Hey, I know that guy.”

Learning about the public Matt Gonzalez throughout the mayoral campaign, I was continuously impressed with his lack of plasticity. Many politicians instinctively exude the veneer of television, even while shaking hands on the street. Matt always appears human, and when he decided a few years ago to quit the Democratic Party in favor of the Greens, it was an act of principle and integrity by a man who knew which way the wind was blowing.

I have learned things about him that have further endeared him to me. While I found the tabloid-flavored newspaper pieces celebrating the youth and attractiveness of both candidates more disgusting than tantalizing, I was impressed by the fact that Matt looks the same on television as he does rounding the corner at Hayes and Fillmore. I had heard he is a fan of jazz, but I didn’t know that he played bass guitar in a rock band. A musician myself, I felt comfort knowing that we have that in common. When he speaks about artists and the poorer folk, he is speaking to us and not just at us.

There were a few times during the campaign when I would see Matt and some of his associates in the coffee shop, quietly formulating strategy and taking turns going outside to answer their cell phones. He was focused, but never imagining himself superior to his surroundings. The shameless self promotion required of a candidate for public office, the sheer amount of talking about oneself that's necessary when clarifying issue positions and fending off attacks from opponents, can easily go to one’s head. I respected the privacy of their hushed tones, while cheerfully acknowledging my novel opportunity to observe politics over breakfast.

While “stepping up to the plate,” Matt never intimated that it was all about him. If he purchased any new suits, they are quite similar to his old ones, leading me to believe that at certain moments he must have gracefully declined the advice of potential fashion handlers. George W. Bush must certainly have a makeup person. And this is San Francisco, after all.

I observed many things about Matt, both during the time I didn’t know who he was, and after. His casual gait is has a hint of slightly dragging feet, the sound of friction between shoe and floor. It’s noticeable in a quiet room, which the coffee shop becomes after the morning rush. He is sometimes accompanied by an attractive woman, better dressed than he, on their way to a meeting at City Hall or elsewhere.

What I witnessed this morning speaks volumes about his character. The day after a very public defeat, he entered the coffee shop, as if enduringly stepping right back into the flow of everyday life. When he ordered coffee for himself and his companion, I overheard both fatigue and relief in his voice.

On the day after losing the election, the ubiquitous “Matt For Mayor” signs invoked a sense of gloom. The skies over San Francisco had still not seen the front page, trumpeting Gavin Newsom’s victory. Their indecision between sunshine and downpour was a supernatural blend of catharsis, hope, and caution.

Matt purchased a Chronicle with a simple courage I silently applauded. He asked his companion, “inside or out?” inquiring where they would sit. The rain had just stopped but the bench outside was soaked. After bringing their beverages outdoors, Matt came back in for a few napkins to wipe the water from the seat they had chosen outside.

I paused to contemplate how Matt might feel about seeing reminders of defeat posted all over town. As if reading my mind, Matt came inside again, grabbed a handful of now souvenir placards and carried them outside to the bench, where he laid one next to the other, forming a temporarily protective layer on which to sit.

It was a poetic and utilitarian gesture. People often act intuitively when they think nobody is watching, when they leave public posturing aside. I was unable to see whether he placed the signs face up or face down.

I spent the rest of the day accepting the reality of the election. My proximity to the defeated this morning helped dissipate the denial that many other Gonzalez supporters must be experiencing, but I can’t help fantasizing about an alternate reality, where the absentee ballots were Green, and the celebration belonged to the underdog. With what dignity would Gavin Newsom have handled such a loss? Would he be at his local coffee shop, reading the paper and accepting smiles and condolences? Or would he be locked in at home in the Marina? We’ll have to wait at least four years for the answer.

A Smattering of Randi Posting

2005-07-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

I imagine the whole experience is designed to intimidate and coerce a potentially unruly guest into "behaving" oneself. It's a classic case of home field advantage. It's Hannity's set, staff, format, etc., and you have to really have your soundbite mojo up to speed to get through the Neanderthal grunting of the host. And the boss always has the last word, with some help from his post-production editor.

Only those like George Galloway, armed with potent truth and Barbara Boxer sized gonads can properly brow beat the buffoons on the TV. Everyone from Howard Dean to whomever they get to challenge Tom DeLay's seat should employ Mr. Galloway as their personal public speaking coach.

And of course, testifying in the Senate is a bit more civilized than walking the plank over at FOX studios.

Rove should by rights be issued a urine-soaked Koran, and shipped out on the next (unmarked) plane to Guantanamo. People have been executed for far less than his offense(s). Novak should simply choke to death on his own feces (preferably live on CNN).

In reality, though, they will likely draw this out long enough to have Junior pardon him on his way out...which is assuming these criminals will ever leave. If the heat gets turned up any more on this, watch your back, because these bloodthirsty thieves wouldn't think twice about engineering a little 9/11 redux to make this bad dream go away

Wumser, Hadley, Hannah, Cheney, Bolton, Libby...
smells more like charges of conspiracy
in this case perhaps impeachable
Conyers is on the case, of course
but we need Congress (post '06?) to bring the charges
i hope they don't let Cheney know what day Fitzgerald's report comes out...other wise...look out

the war was a lie even back when Poppy Bush was the front man

and each piece of evidence offerered was quickly debunkable with a few minutes of research

before the war rattles had really caught on, it was fairly easy to read reports about massive military build up

as soon as i saw James Baker arguing against counting the votes in Flordia, I knew...an election far too important to lose

don't forget about the presidential pardon...scumbags like Abrams and North and such got pardoned...the only way to really rid the cancer is impeachment...that will take a swing of Congress out of BUSHCOntrol in 2006 elections...
which brings us back to Diebold, unfortunately

Conyers for President!

--------------------
I've never been one for random searches. We used to have a Bill of Rights for that, but no more.

I suppose we should be thankful that they don't shoot us in the face and ask questions later. The London police are very clearly saying that the shoot to kill policy (quietly adopted 2 years ago) is here to stay, and that cops murdering a mistaken suspect will happen again.

It's like this is all a dress rehearsal for the permanent police state. A search here, a liberty eroded there...bit by bit...keep the fear in the news. Continue to intimidate or con lawmakers into casting gutless votes for bills they are too scared or else too lazy to read and understand.

Next thing you know we're all reporting our neighbors for wearing a sweater in the summer.

An Out of Context Reply to Steven Capozzola

2005-07-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Do I know this person? It appears you have succeeded in making him yo bitch. I have always enjoyed your "f the immigrants" position, and your economic sense. Manufacturing in the USA will become even more important when our battle with China heats up as the oil runs out. We'll have really screwed ourselves then, having outsourced our capacity to produce anything more tangible than a financial transaction.

I have to admit though; I'm secretly rooting for CNOOK over Chevrondoleeza in the Afghan Pipeline Sweepstakes.

The Defense Department, when they're not trying to one-cheek-sneak another internal report about low morale, are showing concern over China's military push. The new fleet of Chinese destroyers are said to have AEGIS technology stolen from us. We probably couldn't defend Taiwan any time this month or next, if you ask me.

My question is, is China just doing fascism better than us?

You mentioned the recommendations of the "independent" Kean commission, which would have been known as the Kissinger report had the Bush Crime Family had their first pick. It is bad enough that this cover-up crew altered timelines, disregarded crucial testimony, and failed to disclose serious conflicts of interest among some of its members. For the Administration to then play switcheroo with Security Bill provisions, prefering instead to "keep us safe" by dismantling the Bill of Rights and sub-contracting what's left of government ("drowning it in the bathtub" as Grover Norquist prophecized) in the Homeland Security reshuffle, is beyond forgivable.

The only Democrats left, in my opinion, are people like John Conyers of Michigan. And Republicans in the mold of the late John Heinz of Pennsylvania? Nowhere to be found.

Buy locally grown food. Drive less. Cheat on your taxes. Deconstruct government propaganda.

I had a flash of Bernhard Goetz as I imagined our border vigilantes urinating on a dusty Koran.

It's Not Because You're Black, It's Because You're an Asshole

2005-01-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

[Originally written January 10, 2005]

How does the Armstrong Williams payola scandal trouble thee? Let us count the ways. There is the obvious atrocity of the Bush administration’s surreptitious move into outright propaganda. There is salt in the wound when one learns that the $241,000 Williams received for his services as cheerleader for the administration’s No Child Left Behind program came from taxpayer funds. There is the insult to injury, in typical fashion, of the refusal of anyone at the Department of Education to admit any wrongdoing. This is without the uncomfortable mention of the "race sellout" angle to the story.

It is clear that Mr. Williams has sold his credibility, quickly evidenced by his being dropped as a columnist for the Tribune News Service. His laughably limp apologies were nearly as funny as his inability to stop contradicting himself. At one moment he claims to be a commentator and not a journalist, and at the next he attempts to speak as a journalist. The insincerity on his face was as unsettling as the fact that even the right wing minions at FOX were forced to do their share of wrist slapping. The fact that he refuses to return the money is as offensive as it is ironic, as NCLB has been notoriously underfunded.

David Corn, liberal commentator and author of "The Lies of George W. Bush," describes his recent appearance on FOX news, during which he found himself in rare agreement with both host Tony Snow and conservative pundit Linda Chavez. They took turns scolding Williams for not disclosing that he was under contract to spout flattering opinions of NCLB. Chavez rightfully worries that the entire gamut of conservative commentators has had its credibility soiled by Mr. Williams’ hubris and deception. What confidence can a reader or viewer have that such commentary is genuine opinion and not merely paid flackery?

The average news consumer has difficulty telling the difference between a bona fide news story and a carefully prepared "video news release," having had the latter craftily deployed with the aim of selling Medicare or prescription drug reform by disguising a federally funded public relations campaign as hard news. As long as the lighting is up to par, it appears the public is willing to trust what they see and hear. A General Accounting Office investigation has found this type of deception to be illegal. Worse yet, it appears that they have only reached the tip of the iceberg.

Corn says when he ran into Williams in the green room following the FOX segment, Williams intimated that there were more of his type in the conservative media. When invited to elaborate, either on the spot or in a future interview, perhaps after the initial scandal has blown over, Williams declined. But it seems hard to believe that an idea so Rove-like in its sinister brilliance would have only one beneficiary. As Soviet era Russians across the social spectrum used to joke, "at least we knew we were reading Pravda."

As the Bush administration launches its uphill battle of privatizing Social Security, what is to stop them from employing the same tactics they used to peddle NCLB? In Tuesday’s Washington Post, it is reported that the House Republican Conference is hosting a "Social Security Briefing," where GOP press secretaries will be taught how to hone their support for Social Security overhaul by a New York consultant who helps corporations to sell products.
Do television news programs need identify which team their "experts" are playing for by issuing uniforms? How soon until we hear, "the Chair recognizes the Senator from Texaco," in our legislative chambers?

Real Heroes Blow Whistles at Fascists

2005-01-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

I just spoke to a true American hero, Sibel Edmonds, on a radio call-in show. She is the former FBI translator who has been silenced by the Justice Department under the rarely used "state secrets privilege," from giving testimony to a group of Sept. 11 relatives and survivors who have filed a civil suit against international banks and two members of the Saudi royal family for allegedly aiding al Qaeda. The government claims that information provided by Edmonds "would cause serious damage to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States."

I asked her if she can envision a time where she might be able to speak freely about what she knows and about what went on in the FBI's translation department after the Sept. 11 attacks. She has asserted that there are a number of government officials who would be sent to prison if she were allowed to testify publicly under oath. Though she did testify before the 9/11 commission, the only mention of her testimony in the final report is a footnote that refers to the very Department of Justice report that is completely classified.

There is a petition that you can sign, urging the Department of Justice to declassify her testimony. She urged me to sign it, which I quickly did, and to help spread the word about the need to have her story be told. This appears to be the only way we will ever know the full story about that horrible day in 2001.

Sibel Edmonds is a genuine hero and patriot. The information that she wants to make public is vital to our understanding of the events of Sept. 11 , and essential to our understanding of where our government's interests lie. We deserve to know the truth.

For lack of a better name, Chapter 1

2004-12-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

The story is fragmented and difficult to assemble. The pieces, having been blown to bits of various shapes and sizes, have arranged themselves arbitrarily, haphazardly. Nothing is written down in its entirety in any one place. The story exists only in parts; on my hard drive, on napkins and paper bags, and in various incomplete notebooks. It’s difficult to say whether this makes it more difficult to fully understand, or whether the essence becomes more evident when viewed from obscurity.

I have come to realize some important things from the experience. First, though there most certainly is a comprehensive web of surveillance in operation, there is also ample opportunity for "you" to watch "them." It can be done in subtle ways, and becomes quite effective during the frequent episodes of malfunction. Government equipment, systems, management and such - they break down with stunning regularity. Data is irrevocably corrupted by a hostile analog world (a spilled bottle of cola, for instance). The half-lives of these bits and bytes are as yet undetermined.

The data collected is sifted through the bureaucratic sieve, cc’d around and between departments, then generally disregarded. There is no central mainframe that holds all the goods, just like there is no central council of humans who rationally and methodically review the "facts."

The beige leather notebook is a reliable start. It happens late in the story, deep in debt and chronically high, but offers a few moments of lucidity. In my daze I was able to see clear through the noise, beyond the barrage of frequencies and transmissions that afflicts any urban form of life.

A song without lyrics for a change

Downtown Manhattan fights back

2004-12-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Liberty Street is not for Warlords

2004-12-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

WE ARE GERMANY ARE WE?
1933

We the undersigned, resolve to attack and expose fear-induced delusion; to undermine propaganda and murder by pointing fingers in guilty faces; to employ microphone and megaphone in the effort to take back our democracy, our dignity, and our money from the secret-obsessed scoundrels who have hijacked them.

We pledge to secure every voter from intimidation and fraud; to celebrate the bravery of whistleblowers, to denounce with humor, spit, sarcasm, and tears the media oligopoly that feeds ignorance, hatred, and an endless supply of petroleum and non-petroleum based products to us in super-size portions.

There is nothing more patriotic than to honor our Armed Forces, both living and deceased, by bringing them home to their families. They are no longer fighting for Americans, for freedom and liberty, or for a higher ideal, but have instead been lured into service as the only road to a decent education and a better life, only to kill and be killed so that an increasingly few wealthy cowards may continue to profit.

Freedom Isn’t Free Tonight

George Michael to Elton John

2004-12-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

"Other than that, he knows I don't like to tour, I smoke too much pot and my albums still have a habit of going to Number One. In other words, he knows as much as most of my fans."

Today’s commentary on privacy

2004-12-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

how to thrive in a desert

2004-12-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

have you seen the valley of fire?

2004-12-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

undisclosed location 1

Meet Talia

2004-12-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hello my name is Talia and I am looking for help. I'm looking for ways, any way, to avoid working. I’m not the usual slouch, mind you, I’m far too far out for that. I’ve been out on my ass for some time now, and I’m running out of ideas. Listening to a dreckumentary on uranium bullets, I wonder if NASA would be interested. I mean, I’m artistic. I figure I'd be ideal for some sort of experiment. The effects of artlessness in zero gravity perhaps? There must be a subsidized scientist with a budget out there somewhere, and I'm sure shehe or he-she could sort out the whens and whats.

I'm not looking for money, just in case you are suspicious. I’ve no need for that. Auspicious, but with enough altruism for a dime store mystic, I just suck off of our Ministry of Plenty. That’s what they’re there for, after all, aren’t they? And don’t think its all shi-shi dinners and elaborate practical scams, no, there’s a whole lot of this too. A whole lot of sitting around starving.

I'm not homeless. Don’t summon up that kind of pity, you. I gracefully decline all that. I have worked. I have had roommates and stuff. I even have an apartment, where I am right now, and with it I enjoy the interminable worry of next month’s rent. I guess my Civil Scientist would make note of the fact that these acts of financial desperation, these gasps from the gullet of societude seem to pounce around the same time each month. And no, it’s not a period thing either, so back off! Quite simply, there must be a grant in here somehow, doncha think?

And pardon my tedious typing and such. I'm well educated, but you’ll soon learn that everything has a political motive for me. I rationalize, yes, but I can back it up. Yet I rarely do. I’m one of those silent protesters. I’ve got opinions on tons of issues, strong ones sometimes, but I keep them to myself. People don’t seem to like me much, so I don’t have the opportunity to shoot my mouth off all that often.

That’s why this writing thing is such a great find. I can rabble and dabble all I fancy, and no one can really stop me. Who would care to anyway, right? And even if I die right here in bed, rot for days, chances are this would be discovered soon enough, and my ridiculous lifestyle will be vindicated. No, applauded!

the thing I have about work is less about working and more about time
more about time about time about none
hours exchanged
rehearsed and excruciated into regular daynights
for spare change that doesn’t
about working the thing I don’t have about none about time
is less about words and more about change
in a Bb minor harmelodic
on the cello of Sappho’s finest
the change about words about letters

so when I launch into that sort of thing just bear with me, as I have no need of sense and its makings, and I’ll tether on back before you’ll hardly miss me.

A song for the mood

*** *** ***
Would it that both joy and pain
Could trickle gently down the drain
For high and low to be extreme
I’d live with all that’s in between

I borrowed once and borrowed well
I mirrored everything that fell
From Fountainbleau to Auld Lang Zein
I borrowed well and called it mine

If ever were a point to come
Where eyes could see me deaf and dumb
And if in such a turbid sight
I still were fit to pick and fight

Electicles

2004-12-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

Voting is much more scientific these days. It used to be simple. When my father cast his vote for John F. Kennedy in 1960 it was because he was from a household of Democrats, and because he was under the influence of an anti-Nixon streak that wound itself through the ethnography of Jewish Philadelphia. There was no stovepipe of opinion poll calculations, no red and blue and swing states. My father may have known about Nixon’s sweaty lip, but not with the same ferocity with which we learned about George W. Bush’s scowl. Perhaps already in the adolescence of its obsolescence, it was the same Electoral College that elected presidents then as it is now. People were still essentially voting from the gut.

Keeping oneself informed is a full time exercise. Keeping oneself informed is not a passive experience. It is not simply gobbling up as much information as possible. There is an equal measure of deleting to be done. All media compete for our time and attention, and few folks find the time to do the research necessary to verify or debunk the "facts" presented to us. You come away with an impression, without necessarily understanding anything about reality.

The first election I remember was 1976, and even as a youngster I wanted to know where all of the votes went. I imagined enormous rooms where diligent and honest workers counted each ballot, marking down tallies and passing information up the food chain. I tried to imagine how many trash trucks it would take to haul away everything after the election was decided, the once important documents reduced to trash. Quite a contrast to the reality of ballot boxes floating in the San Francisco Bay in the early 21st Century.

What is most troubling is that the average citizen has no idea where their votes go. If permitted the chance to travel the path of a vote, from the moment it is cast to its final destination, the average person would likely become nauseous. Each state administers its own elections, each with its own laws and procedures, and each with its own collection of contractors, software and hardware, absentee voting system, and a partisan governor at the top. It’s not about the chad. It’s about democracy.

For more information, start here.

Non Tech Spex

2004-12-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

Does an artist stand out because they are louder, prettier, smarter, or funnier? Or becuase they are simply themself in their work. How important is recognition? And how much is not enough?

Any jackass can make funny faces while receiving bodily injury, or ingest foul objects with abject bravery. Anyone can make friends with talk of cutting taxes. We all love an ice cold lemonade on a steamy day.

My galaxy currently has zero members. Entrance can only occur in groups of four, so I am still looking for recruits to help me get in. You can probably bail on me after that, but you never know for sure. When you make that leap, you might decide to stay, or be otherwise detained. I can't make any guarantee of safety or sanity, but I can pick up lunch on the way. You like pizza?

LISTEN...ECOUTEZ

2004-12-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

our spokesmodel from the Garden of Eden invites you to kiss your ass goodbye

2004-12-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

at the time, few knew that this anonymous-looking building would change the world

2004-12-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

central intelligence

Disclosure Statement

2004-12-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

...note to weblord, scan for redundancy:

I gave you up
For better
Or for worse
If I can’t give you up for real
I promise I won’t complicate
I’m sure we can negotiate a deal
You stay the hell away from here
At twice the legal limit, dear
Don’t bully me
I’m almost in control
And miles from you
I battle on
Despite
A sense of inner calm I feel
Time will tell
I tell my self
I tell myself I’m not myself at all
Don’t wave if you should pass me by
Coincidence is not my kind
Don’t notice me
I’m almost in control
I gather up my self-esteem
I’m playing for the other team
I’m over you
I gave you up at last
You haven’t even noticed how
I finish all my projects now
I’m almost done
I’m almost in control

The Future Has Been

2004-12-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

Please peruse the following galaxy for your immediate gratification:

A lot of room for interpretation there...or here, if you will. Futurehasbeen is the name I came up with for my recording studio, though I haven't delved too deeply into marketing my services. I just like the way it sounds. Future has been. And no reason why the blogosphere can't share purpose with the world of recorded vibration.

As an introduction, post handshake of course, why not sample a one-minute public service announcement about democracy. If we lay down and play dead, we're fools at best. We should wake up pronto, lest we settle comfortably into the role of sheep.