mousemusings...multimedia, music, progressive politics, video, web design and general rants
Human beings will be happier - not when they cure cancer or get to Mars or eliminate racial prejudice or flush Lake Erie but when they find ways to inhabit primitive communities again. That's my utopia.
~Kurt Vonnegut
Saturday, November 29, 2003

Diebold Withdraws Legal Threats

This move came after widespread public protest. Congressman Dennis Kucinich sent a letter to Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Sensenbrenner and Ranking Member Conyers requesting that the Committee hold a hearing to investigate abuses of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by Diebold. Kucinich also posted the documents in question on his congressional website.

Today, Kucinich released this statement:

"In a democracy where already half the people don't vote and where the last presidential election was decided by the Supreme Court, we cannot tolerate flawed voting equipment or intimidation of those who point out the flaws. Diebold backing down from its intimidation campaign is a positive step. An open and honest examination of the flaws in electronic voting will lead us to only one possible conclusion: electronic voting machines are dangerous to democracy because there is no way of ensuring their accuracy. We need to have a voter-verified paper trail for every election so that any errors and irregularities caused by the voting machines can be discovered."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Kucinich planning to stump for votes in East Lansing

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


More Georgia on Bob's mind

I read the George Soros possibility too and wondered. I didn't know both views were written by the same MacKinnon until Bob pointed it out. If anyone finds more info, please let Bob know. As for me, I'm still happy people-power prevailed but I do have questions about how it was possible.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Rockers Unite to Oust Bush

Many artists aren't afraid to get their hands dirty in the democratic process, either: At Punkvoter.com, more than 100 bands, including NOFX, Green Day and Offspring, are creating voter-registration drives, a political action committee and a Rock Against Bush Tour. Willie Nelson recently called Dennis Kucinich to offer his time and a slogan, "Kucinich: His middle name is sin," and dozens of other artists are contributing money to campaigns and performing in swing states and in televised public-service announcements.

"Musicians have an obligation to get involved," says Henley, "not necessarily because they have a forum but because they are citizens."

"Americans are asleep at the wheel," Taylor adds. "We're not getting involved in our own political process."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


One man's opinion: Evidence indicates that Wellstone crash was no accident

One of the oddest events since the election is that Wellstone's successor in the U.S. Senate, Norm Coleman, has been placed in charge of the Senate Investigations Committee.

That is an extraordinarily sensitive responsibility to be placed upon a freshman senator with no previous experience.

One man's opinion: The evidence presented here and elaborated elsewhere in detail establishes a prima facie case that this death was no accident, that the motives were political and begs the question: Was the White House involved?

An investigation by the St. Louis County prosecutor would be most welcome.

In the chorus of memories for a man who made a difference, let us bear in mind that truth is our only defense against an onslaught of lies that have dominated a media that appears too weak or too complicit to resist.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, November 28, 2003

Famed Berkeley Home Hosts Kucinich E-campaign

When Henry Poole met Dennis Kucinich last May, politics fused with passion and technological savvy. What emerged from the meeting was an electronic presidential campaign, run in part from a room in a house that was once Berkeley’s best-known radical commune.

“We’ve created the basic technological infrastructure for a national campaign, an online fund-raising system, e-mail, and the software for e-mail campaigns,” Poole says.

Among his creations are Kucinich’s campaign website, www.denniskucinich.us, his electronic bulletin board, us.denniskucinich.us, and a WIKI—a site each user can edit, alter, or otherwise contribute to—www.civicactions.org.

While the city on the Bay is a long way in time and space from the Oklahoma plains where Poole was born 40 years ago, politics was in his blood from the start.

... Arriving in Berkeley five years ago, he found a grand old house on Ashby Avenue that only later he discovered had once been home to the city’s notorious Red Family commune--the hotbed of revolution presided over by Chicago 7 radical and later Democratic state legislator Tom Hayden.

Poole’s revolutionary impulses follow a gentler course. Now 40, he’s a longtime member and current boardmember of the Free Software Foundation. “It’s a huge group of people working around the country on free software, which is a very important issue,” he says, quiet enthusiasm evident in his voice. [ continue reading ]
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |




Excellent collection of William Blake links celebrating his day of birth. another best of woods lot
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Dennis Kucinich in Ann Arbor December 4 @ Noon

More details forthcoming, but tentatively, there will be a rally on the diag, and a walk to join the Borders picket line. Let's make it rock! Spread the word.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |




there is now a professional, well-trained elite, supported by large institutions, that is adept and willing to use corrupt practices to accumulate wealth.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Trailer With 350 Pounds Of Explosives Stolen

Federal and local authorities are investigating the theft of 350 pounds of explosives from a company west of Albuquerque.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department said seven 50-pound bags of ammonium nitrate fuel oil and blasting agent were stolen from Titan Energy.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2003



posted by Cyndy | link |   | |




I don't see myself adding much to this page the next two days. Instead I will point you to Bob who has a view I hadn't considered about the Georgian coup and an appeal to Atrios to stop linking to Amazon while the Borders strike is on (Borders and Amazon are affiliated). Bob has some of the best captions and headlines out there, great humor too!

I also want to point you to Maru The Crankpot She can make me laugh even in the depths of despair and always has a fresh view of the latest news.
In one sentence today (Nov 25) she summed up the mood of the moment and provided all the essentials. If we have to hear and read these bummers I'm glad to know she'll be around to present them. Read her page regularly and laugh while you cry!
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Monday, November 24, 2003

(3) Republicans Back E-Vote Bill

Congressman Holt said voter receipts should not be a partisan issue, as all parties should be concerned about the integrity of voting systems.

"I am very pleased that my Republican colleagues have joined my effort to protect the future integrity of our elections. There's clearly momentum building in Congress and across the country to see this legislation pass.... I am confident that more Republicans will join me so that together we can pass this legislation and make sure that every vote cast in every future election is counted accurately," he said in a written statement released Wednesday.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Surviving Martial Law

The following guide will help you plan, prepare, and get ready in the event that martial law threatens your safety and well being. It is divided into two parts. The first part describes the framework for martial law and the second part the actions to take in preparing or the actual declaration of martial law.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Arresting The Future

Tom Hayden is reporting for AlterNet from the Free Trade Area of the Americas conference in Miami.
How could the police not notice how young they were, how utterly unthreatening, how innocent?
...I came to Miami with eight students from Harvard University, where I have been teaching a study group on social movements this semester. They carried with them questionnaires to sample the opinions of this new generation of protestors, and received a first-hand education in police suppression today.

...Global Exchange co-founder Medea Benjamin and others were pulled over Thursday night by a dozen officers who pointed guns at them. The Sierra Club's Washington D.C. advocate, Dan Seligman, also described officers holding a weapon to his head and that of another colleague. Mark Rand, coordinator of a group of foundation funders, displayed a large bluish bruise on his back leg from a rubber bullet.

...A minute later, I learned that Democracy Now's Ana Nogueira – and her camera – had been enveloped and arrested too. It was another experiment in the "Miami model." What I remembered of this imperial aggressiveness at the ballot box from November 2000 now seemed to be repeating itself on the streets.

...Police subsequently informed the larger world that a mob of menacing protestors had disobeyed orders to dissolve an unlawful assembly and were treated accordingly.

In truth they may have radicalized the next generation of America's future leaders.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |




Loss of innocence. as remembered by Tish. I always get chills whenever I read an excerpt of her book.
I want to see this book published! Anyone out there who has pull?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |




Mike Finley will be guest blogging this week here. at the City Pages Online Blog Community. Check it out.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Envisioning uses for hallucinogens

"These compounds hold tremendous potential for helping us understand how the brain functions, and they have untapped potential for healing," said Charles Grob, a psychiatry professor at UCLA Medical School.

Some early studies suggest that LSD can ease the sense of dread that people feel when they are dying. "There were some very interesting and promising results," said Grob. He recently secured approval from the Food and Drug Administration to continue this line of inquiry using the milder drug psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The Strange Death of the Woman Who Filed a Rape Lawsuit Against Bush

For all I know, maybe Schoedinger did kill herself. Maybe she dreamed up a lot of this stuff. But I don't know, am I "deranged" to think it's weird that in this mass-media, detailed-information age, so few people are even asking any questions about how a woman who filed a rape lawsuit against the president could be dead less than a year later? found via NewWorldDisorder


UPDATE on Another Death:
Michelle at You Will Anyway has some more tidbits on John Kokal's mysterious death. I feel this is another biggie that needs to be followed, yet the media still isn't asking questions.

Yet More Mysterious Death
Since April, the military says, at least 17 Americans - 15 Army soldiers and two Marines - have taken their own lives in Iraq. The true number is almost certainly higher. At least two dozen non-combat deaths, some of them possible suicides, are under investigation according to an AP review of Army casualty reports.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Sunday, November 23, 2003

Cunnilingus is North Korea

a surprisingly funky 8-minute or so Flash message from Kim Jong-Il
posted by Andy | link |   | |


Kucinich Requests House Judiciary Committee Hearing On Diebold's Abuses Of Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Diebold invoked the DMCA to pressure many ISPs and universities into removing websites and hyperlinks. These cease-and-desist letters were inappropriate.
Read the letter
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


F.B.I. Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies (NYTimes)

"The F.B.I. is dangerously targeting Americans who are engaged in nothing more than lawful protest and dissent," said Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "The line between terrorism and legitimate civil disobedience is blurred, and I have a serious concern about whether we're going back to the days of Hoover."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Howard Zinn and Thom Yorke

Radiohead icon and author of "People's History of the United States" debate the artist's role in making the world a better place.
Howard Zinn and Thom Yorke have never done lunch, waved to each other along the red carpet, or even had a conversation. But what if they did? We took the recent release of Howard Zinn's new book, "Artists in Times of War," as an opportunity to find out what would happen if these two very different people were to sound off on the role of artists in politics. After all, who better for this dialogue than Radiohead's Thom Yorke?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Saturday, November 22, 2003

Greenmuseum

a nonprofit, online museum of environmental art, advances creative efforts to improve our relationship with the natural world.
posted by Andy | link |   | |


Martin's mission to improve Canada-U.S. relations could cost Canadians dearly

The prime minister received a resounding standing ovation when he reminded Liberals how important it is that Canada did not endorse the American invasion of Iraq. Then, perhaps looking directly at Martin, who was seated in the crowd, the outgoing leader said, "Beware of those on the right who put the narrow bottom line ahead of everything else."

A Web site has been established at www.ceasefire.ca for people to call for a parliamentary and public debate on missile defence.
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Friday, November 21, 2003

Medicinal pot headed to '04 Detroit ballot

National advocates said medicinal marijuana use will be a good thing for Detroit.

"It keeps police from wasting time and valuable resources," said Kevin Zeese, president of Common Sense for Drug Policy, based in Washington, D.C..

Zeese estimated that it can take police up to four hours to arrest, book and release people during a routine marijuana arrest.

"And for the patient, it would make them feel secure that they won't be harassed by law enforcement," Zeese said.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Dennis Kucinich ROCKS!

Preserving Democracy
Some of the Diebold memos now have a home at house.gov thanks to the very electable Dennis Kucinich!
Diebold has been using coercive legal claims to intimidate internet service providers and even universities to shut down websites with links to its memos and remove the memo content. Under copyright laws, however, universities are exempt, and posting links to the memos is not considered a violation of the law. By abusing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Diebold has intimidated numerous internet service providers to comply with its requests. The damage is two-fold: 1) limiting the public’s information about the security of its voting machines, and 2) expanding corporate control over our most free medium of expression, the Internet.

Congressman Kucinich is working to address these problems by providing some of Diebold’s internal memos on this site to increase public access, drafting legislation to address software security problems, and working to investigate Diebold’s legal abuses.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Mystery Surrounds Death of State Department Official

How Did a Senior Analyst at State Department's Intelligence Unit Fall from the Roof of State Department Headquarters and Why is No One Talking About It?
People who know Kokal told the French publication Geopolitique that Kokal was involved in the analysis of intelligence about Iraq prior to and during the war against Saddam Hussein.

INR and other State Department officials report that a "chill" has set in at the State Department following Kokal's defenestration. A number of employees are afraid to talk about the suspicious death. It also unusual that The Northern Virginia Journal, a local Arlington newspaper, has not published an obituary notice on Kokal.

original story here
I dunno...If I were going to jump off a roof, I would be wearing shoes. Don't ask me why.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


NEW! Conjurella Frankenhead & The 827 Mystery

by T. Casey Brennan
This is the story of the music of the abominations.

This is the story of 827, which was a magical place
where you simply could not fall off your skateboard,
no matter how bad you were, or how hard you tried,
where the men were all punk rockers, where the girls
were all wonders of the defiant culture of the 21st
century, as radiant, bold, and inexplicable as the
newschoolers code of art which they followed. [read it all]
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, November 20, 2003

Radiohead Frontman Protests Bush Visit To London

When asked why he chose to speak out, Yorke said, "To make Blair squirm over his decision to take us into a illegitimate war (in Iraq) and follow this religious lunatic (Bush) toward a dangerous future for the whole planet...both of these men are liars. We have the right to call them such, they are putting our children's future in jeopardy. They are not controlling the terrorist threat, they are escalating it.."


Dozens of Demonstrators Arrested in Miami
"When you have that kind of police presence dressed up in storm-trooper garb and a mentality of `Let's close off the entire city because we had rowdies in another city,' it has a tendency to incite problems that might not otherwise exist," Stelzer said.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


USA Today interview with Kucinich

Q: Are Democrats turning away from President Clinton's 'new Democrat' ideology and back to more traditional Democratic credentials?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


War critics astonished as Richard Perle admits invasion was illegal

Mr Perle, a key member of the defence policy board, which advises the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, said that "international law ... would have required us to leave Saddam Hussein alone", and this would have been morally unacceptable.


Limbaugh investigated for money laundering
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Wednesday, November 19, 2003

The Second Coming of Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick liked nothing better than to toy with the fundamentals of human existence, reality chief among them, so what better for the movie than a bullet that may or may not be tearing through the main character's flesh? Like other Dick protagonists - Tom Cruise in Minority Report, Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall, Harrison Ford in Blade Runner- Affleck finds himself struggling for equilibrium in a world where even the most elemental questions are almost impossible to answer. Can the senses be trusted? Are memories real? Is anything real?

Paycheck, directed by John Woo and set to open Christmas Day, is the latest in a run of films based on Philip K. Dick stories that began 21 years ago with Blade Runner.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


U.S. to Test 'Mother of All Bombs' at Florida Base

The U.S. military plans this week to conduct its final developmental test on the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal, a weapon so big it is dubbed the "mother of all bombs," the Air Force said on Tuesday.

The MOAB has had just one previous live test when it was detonated at the same base on March 11, the week before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, producing a large, mushroom-like cloud. There were two previous inert tests of the bomb, Swinson said.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Protests swell as Bush visits London

"Our phones have not stopped ringing with calls from people wanting to show their opposition to the visit," said Lindsey German, one organizer. "Feelings are running very strongly and the more we are told that we should welcome the president, the more opposition grows."


Bush protests in Trafalgar Square
Protest organisers claim the British public is already making it clear that the controversial visit is a "huge waste" of time and money.

Is Bush 'biggest threat on earth'?
'I think we should use the opportunity to leave the President in no doubt as to the extent of public concern about the way events, tragically, have unfolded.'

Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that security for Mr Bush's visit to Mr Blair's Sedgefield constituency on Friday will cost Ł1million.

'We don't want Bush visit'
The cost of policing the three day visit, during which Bush will stay at Buckingham Palace, is estimated at around Ł5.5million - more than any other major event in London this year.

Boy this is one costly cowardly cowboy.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Tidbits

Green Party members currently holding elected office in the United States


Liar Liar Pants on Fire!!


The Wal-Mart You Don't Know
Wal-Mart is not just the world's largest retailer. It's the world's largest company--bigger than ExxonMobil, General Motors, and General Electric.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Breaking News!! (choking on my tongue)

Major Suspect Captured, US, World rejoices...
Flash video. Award winning journalism.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


say 'right on!' with me and Angela Davis on Friday, November 21, 2003 Rackham Auditorium A2

Angela Davis, Professor in the History of Consciousness Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is internationally known for her efforts to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad. Over the years she has been active as a student, teacher, writer, scholar, and activist. She is a living witness to the historic struggles of the contemporary era
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Monday, November 17, 2003

Job growth spin cycle

By Paul Craig Roberts
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Are we being spun on jobs by the White House and the rah-rah Bush media like we are being spun on Iraq? Make up your own mind

New research suggests that we like music that sounds just like us

Why don't we discourse any more?
Noel Malcolm reviews After Theory by Terry Eagleton

Start reading. Now. Or. Whatever.

‘Military voters' could threaten Bush's bid for re-election

Compound in Green Tea Blocks HIV

Ginkgo Boosts Memory, Brain Scan Shows

The Best of Hubble a Flash file
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Black Box Notes

A new blog to add to your blogrolls! Keep up with developments regarding Diebold and e-voting. This is an issue that cannot be divided along partisan lines. It affects the core of our Democracy. I wonder why the right objects to Diebold being eyeballed. It seems such an elementary concept to safeguard the vote.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Eyes wide shut

Genesis P Orridge was talking to Tim Cumming
He was the Leonardo of the 20th century, whose surreal work could change the way people thought.
Gysin was more methodical than he pretended. He understood more than anyone else at that point in culture that, just as we can take apart particles until there's a mystery, so we can do the same with culture, with words, language and image. Everything can be sliced and diced and reassembled, with no limit to the possible combinations [ more ]

William Burroughs pays tribute to Brion Gysin
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Saturday, November 15, 2003

Joey Ramone gets street sign in NYC

It's finally happening! The city of New York got off its broke ass and set a date for the placing of the street sign that will proclaim to the world there is a corner in New York City named after our beloved Joey. It will take place SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, AT 1 PM
posted by Andy | link |   | |


4 Former Israeli Security Chiefs Publicly Spank Sharon

"We must once and for all admit there is another side, that it has feelings, that it is suffering and that we are behaving disgracefully ... this entire behaviour is the result of the occupation"
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Friday, November 14, 2003

Krugman discusses Bush Administration, new book

 
Borders Readers United Mobile Blog
Send in photos related to the Borders' employees strike from your digital camera.
THE MORE ONE PUNISHES, THE MORE ONE CREATES RESISTANCE

Defining the resistance in Iraq - it's not foreign and it's well prepared
By Scott Ritter
What I saw - and passed on to US intelligence agencies - were what might be called the blueprints of the postwar insurgency that the US now faces in Iraq. And they implied two important facts that US authorities must understand:

The tools and tactics killing Americans today in Iraq are those of the former regime, not imported from abroad.

The anti-US resistance in Iraq today is Iraqi in nature, and more broadly based and deeply rooted than acknowledged.

Video: Exposed: The Carlyle Group
48 minute documentary about the depth of corruption and deceit within the highest ranks of our government and the first family.
Note: The first one minute forty seven seconds of this program is in broadcast in Dutch, The remainder is in English.

Arrested Russian Businessman Is Carlyle Group Adviser
Carlyle, known for the glittering roster of former statesmen among its partners
and advisers, has ties to both Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev,
the jailed Russian tycoons.

Afterthoughts Bumper Stickers
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Wednesday, November 12, 2003



The discussion in the comments below is quite positive. Mostly I find it encouraging because there IS discussion. Discussion is a beginning step toward action. I find it encouraging that Borders Workers are taking action. I see it as a sign that there is still some breath in our Democracy. Big Business isn't completely in charge, there are people willing to risk speaking out, and as more do, more will follow. It will be a revolution of cheap laborers. Cheap labor is the foundation of our society. The foundation crumbles without a living wage and adequate affordable health care for all. The balance is off. I see a revolution forming.

Yes, I'm bummed because I don't feel we are collectively making enough progress. I am just as guilty of inaction as the next person. Unlike Bob I haven't been active enough in what is a fairly active community. Mark gives us a link to The A-B-C of Popular Revolt, the Bolivian people are the live expression of a democracy constructed from below. Mark points out that "Democracy", like "living", is an active verb."

Today I find hope in the growing strength of MoveOn.org, the action of George Soros, and the restlessness of cheap labor. People do have the power.
I find horror when I have no trust in the leader of this country and diminishing trust in a fair electoral process.
I have bothersome questions when I see headlines like this:
Bush poised to axe Iraq ruling council and, later the same day I see this:
U.S.-Appointed Iraqi Council Leader Killed
How can I possibly think otherwise??

Yes, if it weren't for blogging I might not be asking questions. I might sleep better for awhile, but what might I wake up to?
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Tuesday, November 11, 2003



LEFT is RIGHT has an inspiring post. I've been feeling the loss of focus myself and have been feeling ineffectual with linkage that either seems to echo someone else or may be something I'm sure everyone has already read.

It's starting to get old.

It's too easy to continue down this worn path. We've set up our blogs (a hard experience for many of us) and now we pass around our links and comments to the same visitors ad nauseum. We try to find out if one of our regular high-brow reads has found a scoop no one else has posted so that we can be one of the first to re-post and gloatingly cite the high-brow source. There are so many liberal bloggers out there, we've diluted ourselves to the state of uselessness. And to add insult to injury, many of the more popular sites have a perpetual hat out for donations. Good old capitalism.


I'm not sure what the answer is, and to some extent I still feel we have been effective but I can't help but feel the truth and weariness in these words "We relentlessly attack Bush et al. for lying to us. We ceaselessly catalog how "we" are right and "they" are wrong;
It, like the backlash on 'political correctness', becomes a cumbersome
burden and sounds too much like preaching. No one pays attention.

LEFT is RIGHT says: " Republican Big Business is in charge. Once we all come to grips with this reality, then we can start returning the basic fabric of our society to the people.

Nothing less than a true revolution will accomplish this."


What are we going to do about it??
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Monday, November 10, 2003



More information on the Borders Strike can be found at GoodspeedUpdate along with timely information regarding U of M and Ann Arbor happenings in general.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Nader in 2004? from Politics in the Zeros

Great post! I completely agree that if Nader were to run in 2004 it would damage the Green Party beyond repair. Quotes provided here from influential Greens. I hope Nader listens.
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Sunday, November 09, 2003

Paul Krugman at A2 District Library 7 p.m on Tuesday Nov. 11

THE GREAT UNRAVELING weaves together Krugman’s most influential Op-Ed columns from the The New York Times and other publications with substantial new material, including a powerful introductory chapter that places the outrages of recent years in context.
His gig the next day at Border's has apparently been cancelled due to the strike (probably a good idea if they didn't want looting and rioting).
INSTEAD (of the Borders gig)
The Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace, with co-sponsorship from the U-M Residential College, is presenting the talk by Paul Krugman!

Paul Krugman speaks on The Great Unraveling
THIS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
8 pm
Schorling Auditorium, School of Education, University of Michigan
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Joe Conason to read at Shaman Drum 8 p.m. on Monday Nov. 10

In Big Lies, Joe Conason rips through the ten most damaging lies perpetrated by the right wing propaganda machine. This scathing, fact-filled analysis debunks it all
posted by Andy | link |   | |




Ok...I was making a concerted effort to visit my entire blogroll today. I was distracted by Elayne Riggs at Pen-Elayne on the Web. Whew! She started off by pointing me to JC Christian's humour and then took me on a trip through the League of Liberals highlighting the member weblogs. Good stuff, unique stuff. Efficiency Elayne, I'd say, and she's job searching! If I were in NYC and hiring...
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Former Dean Supporters Tell Why they Switched to Kucinich

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Kurt Vonnegut: Knowing What's Nice

 

"I’ll be 81 on November 11. What’s it like to be this old? I can’t parallel park worth a damn anymore. Please don’t watch when I try to do it. But no matter how bad things may get for me, the music will still be wonderful. My epitaph, should I ever need one, God forbid: “The only proof he ever needed of the existence of God was music.”
Thanks Tony!


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Saturday, November 08, 2003

Borders Store #1 (Ann Arbor MI) on Strike

 
Borders #1 vs Binc
pictures here (scroll)
Worker Testimonials here
Borders Union Strike Fund Benefit
Monday November 10 - 8 pm - $20 The Ark

After nearly a year of negotiations, workers at the downtown Borders book store host a concert to create a fund to help support workers in the event of a strike. Performers include moving folk troubadour Chris Buhalis, socially consious folk songwriter Jay Stielstra, poetic psychedelic folk rock band The Buzzrats and fiery rock band FUBAR.

Funds will be donated to the shelters for the homeless and the Ann Arbor Hunger Coalition if a strike is avoided.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Kucinich Rallies Seattle

A personal account of the day as seen by Laura:
The rally started at 3 p.m. (the size of the crowd is especially impressive considering that it was during the workday; a lot of people who wanted to attend may not have been able to get off work).

The rally featured a variety of speakers and singers. The speakers included the head of ILWU Local 23 (which just recently endorsed Dennis), a representative of the Natural Law Party of Washington, a representative of Solidarity in America (a movement started by ILWU Local 23), Angela Gilliam (an African-American feminist scholar who is a professor at a local college), and the head of the UW chapter of Kucinich for President (the student group were the official sponsors of the event and did much of the work organizing it).

The College Republicans or some other conservative student group decided to hold a protest. There were about half a dozen of them. They carried signs such as "Bush-Cheney 2004", "Get the Kooch off our campus", "Vote for Kucinich - Why are you laughing", and a rather odd one alleging that Dennis would allow serial killers to go free [ continue reading ]

Also read: U.S. out of Iraq, Kucinich says
The Olympian

Democratic candidate thrills Western crowd

Howard Dean to Skip Public Financing
special interests lining up
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What Democracy??

The Bush White House, irritated by pesky questions from congressional Democrats about how the administration is using taxpayer money, has developed an efficient solution: It will not entertain any more questions from opposition lawmakers.

Norman Ornstein, a congressional specialist at the American Enterprise Institute, agreed. "I have not heard of anything like that happening before," he said. "This is obviously an excuse to avoid providing information about some of the things the Democrats are asking for."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Searching for Mrs. Kucinich

PoliticsNH.com is taking Congressman Kucinich up on his offer. We're running a national contest to help him find his perfect First Lady. We will post profiles of interested single women, and at some point we'll let our readers pick the best Kucinich running mate. If Congressman Kucinich agrees, PoliticsNH.com will fly the fortunate woman to New Hampshire
and treat the two candidates to dinner.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, November 07, 2003

Tell Us the Truth Tour

November 11
Royal Oak Music Theater

with Billy Bragg, Lester Chambers, Steve Earle, and the Nightwatchman (Tom Morello)
Disgusted that "the media is no longer reporting the stories that really matter", British folk-rocker Billy Bragg is taking his message directly to the people with a 'Tell Us The Truth' U.S. tour that brims with outrage over corporate swashbucklers and talking head tele-zombies.

"You could argue that the goal of this tour is to discover why a majority of the American people believe that Saddam Hussein was in some way responsible for 9/11," Bragg told IPS.

"Since that awful day in 2001, the facts about who perpetrated such an atrocity and why have been obscured by propaganda and conspiracy theory alike. The Bush administration was able to sell the invasion of Iraq to the people because the mainstream media failed to inform the American public of the facts," he said.

"As an artist, all I can do is to offer my perspective of the situation and hopefully inspire the audience to engage with the issue," Bragg told IPS.

"Look what happened with the Vietnam War. Once pop culture engaged with the anti-war movement, the tide began to turn in public opinion. That's what the neo-conservatives fear will happen again, which explains why Bush wants his pals to buy up as many radio stations as possible." see: Musician to Sing the Links Between Trade, U.S.' Big Media
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, November 06, 2003

ILWU Local 23 Endorses Kucinich

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 in Tacoma, Wa., has endorsed by popular vote the candidacy of Dennis J. Kucinich for president. Representatives of Local 23 will present Kucinich with the formal endorsement this Saturday.

The presentation will take place in conjunction with a Labor Roundtable scheduled for 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. on Nov. 8 in Seattle. Congressman Kucinich is scheduled to participate in a forum with union members, to include representatives of the ILWU, the SEIU, and several other unions. Location: Seattle Airport Hilton Hotel, Spencer's Restaurant, 17620 Pacific Highway South, Seattle, WA 98188.

Vance Lelli, a member of ILWU, President of Pierce County Central Labor Council, and Vice President of Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, said:

"This is the first step toward having the ILWU international endorse Kucinich. His principles are right in line with those of the ILWU. He is the only candidate working for repeal of the Taft Hartley Act. We were locked out last year. The Taft Hartley Act handcuffs workers, and Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate from a major party to say so. We want to give Dennis a bigger voice.

"He's the only candidate who voted against the 'PATRIOT Act,' and the only one who has a 100 percent plan for health care, not a pieced together hope-to-get-to-98-percent plan for health care, but 100 percent! I've been a longshoreman since I was 16. I don't want to end up an unemployed longshoreman because of health care. Contract negotiations are all about health care. I want it off the table. I want everyone to have it.

"When you look at Dennis's positions, you see right away that he's our candidate. We opposed the war on Iraq. We're the people who load the war ships and we're speaking out against the war. Our movement for Dennis is truly from the rank and file. We're the only union that's beaten Bush. We were locked out. Everybody's doing recession bargaining, but we challenged and with the solidarity of the AFL-CIO, we won."

Earlier this year, the union emerged victorious in its battle with West Coast shipping companies, signing a contract locking in 7% pay increases, large pension hikes, and no-cost health-care. The contract signing followed a lockout last year and a 10-day shutdown of West Coast ports. The White House invoked the Taft-Hartley Act and mandated arbitration.

The ILWU has a long history of effective political action. In 1938, the ILWU refused to ship any more scrap metal to Japan, because it was being turned into bombs. In the 1980's the ILWU took a stand for imprisoned South Korean President and future Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kim Dae-Jung, refusing to load Korean goods until he was released. Kim Dae-Jung credits the ILWU with helping to save his life. In 1984 the ILWU refused to work on South African shipping to help end Apartheid; following his 1990 release, Nelson Mandela saluted the union in an Oakland, CA speech. In 1989 the ILWU refused to unload coffee from El Salvador to protest union-busting Salvadoran coffee plantations. In 1999, the ILWU refused to load ships unless student demonstrators against the WTO were freed by the police; they were freed.

"Some believe that international policy should be left to government," said Lelli. "The ILWU believes ordinary people should be involved."

OTHER LABOR ENDORSEMENTS

Kucinich has also been endorsed by a long list of labor leaders: http://kucinich.us/endorsements/
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Letter to the Editor

Lansing State Journal

'Nuts' are here

Eureka, we have found it!

The weapons of mass destruction are NOT in Iraq ...

They are in the White House, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Congress.

I am asking the United Nations to consider sending forces to help America rid the world of these crazy nuts.

It is obvious the American voters can't do it at the polls.

G. McCoy
Lansing Township
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Logarithmic Maps of the Universe

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Take My President -- Please!

by Paul Krassner
Alleged threats from alleged comedians against alleged leaders.
The thought police in action
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Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Tonight 7-8:30 CNN

 

Submit your Question
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Transcript of online discussion with Dennis Kucinich at Washington Post

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Monday, November 03, 2003

Israel to demolish homes by remote control

found via The News Butcher
Think of the manned bulldozer that killed Rachael Corrie. The Israeli army said the modified (unmanned) versions will save lives.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Sunday, November 02, 2003



Maxspeaks about Dean's comment.
It speaks a shade of something Michael Moore talked about the other night that perked my ears. There is a tendency for liberals to lean toward exclusivity as in, 'Oh, you voted for Reagan? We don't want you", or something as silly as an abortion stance being the deciding factor in a candidate's viability.

There are much bigger issues to consider, issues that go way beyond personal choice, or a flag. Embracing the bigger issues and the voters who consider them should be the focus. Dean said, "White folks in the South who drive pickup trucks with Confederate flag decals on the back ought to be voting with us, and not [Republicans], because their kids don't have health insurance either, and their kids need better schools too."

I lived in South Carolina. The Confederate flag issue is really a rather petty issue within the big picture that will go away in time if the kids are allowed access to good schools. Granted, a lot of parents there are pro-voucher, but a quality public system, with recognized diversity is still the desired education by most parents. For liberals to escalate the flag as a dividing line isn't productive. Inclusive tolerance works both ways.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Prayer for America

by Dennis Kucinich, Studs Terkel


Currently #7 on Amazon's bestseller list.
Make it #1



posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The Unbridgeable Chasm Of Doubt

 
Why faith and government don't mix
By John Kaminski


We all have selective memories. From the relationship between two people to how each of us perceives the whole world, we see what we are able to see and tend to ignore those things we can't comprehend. We choose to see what continues to make us comfortable, and tend to avoid what threatens our world view. Often what we choose not to see turns out to be the most important thing of all, and we suffer for it.

And it just makes it worse when you know you saw it, and didn't do anything about it.

Two people can get together and each insist that one loves the other, but often neither can perceive what the other is saying, because their frames of reference are either too different, or something in the behavior of one sends one a signal that his words are not to be trusted, or she is not being sincere, even though both believe their sincerity is beyond question. From such dilemmas, wars and divorces erupt like poison mushrooms in a darkened yard. [ continue reading ]
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Groups question voting machines' accuracy

 
E-Vote Software Leaked Online

Did E-Vote Firm Patch Election?

Bev Harris has the research and has written the book:

available for purchase or downloadable in pdf. (no cost)


These are critical questions we need to continue asking. Recount, replay, repeat. Normally well-informed people still are not aware of the depth of the blackboxvoting revelations, nor are they aware of 16,022 mishandled votes for Gore, (read Chapter 11 excerpt) the Georgia irregularities, or the fact that Diebold has been threatening websites posting this information, and controversial Diebold memos with cease and desist orders, including Swathmore College, (see E-Vote Protest Gains Momentum ) who appears to now to have a instituted a renewed fight: Swarthmore Administration Taking Steps To Support Student Action in Diebold Matter

For more information see Targeting Diebold with Electronic Civil Disobedience

Diebold warns on electronic voting papers

EFF Defends Right to Publish Links to Electronic Voting Memos "There is a strong fair-use defense," Seltzer said. "People are using these documents to talk about the very mechanism of democracy - how the votes are counted. It's at the heart of what the First Amendment protects."

Newsweek, in possibly the first mainstream news mention of the term blackboxvoting, writes:
Suspicions run even higher when people learn that some of those in charge of voting technology are themselves partisan. Walden O’Dell, the CEO of Diebold, is a major fund-raiser for the Bush re-election campaign who recently wrote to contributors that he was “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes for the president next year.”

Matthew Pascarella has much to say about the HAVA (Help America Vote Act) and it is far from encouraging, from Conflict of Interest, to Software Imperfections, and Managing the Voter Rolls, it's a must read.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Create a TV ad that tells the truth about George W. Bush

 
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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