MOONSHINE ELECTION SERIES - Part 1

Black Box Voting has found "Moonshine Election patterns" in 16 states, which together carry 210 electoral votes.

Kentucky is a swing state where 87 out of 120 counties had a majority of Democratic registered voters, yet 106 out of 120 counties voted for Bush in 2000; 108 voted for Bush in 2004. It wasn't low turnout -- in fact, turnout has been going up. It was Kentucky politics: Registered Democrats went into the voting booth, Republican votes came out. (Details on website)

THE HUNT FOR JOE BOLTON

We discovered that a man named Joe Bolton has inside access to nearly 200,000 votes, most of them in the most troubled areas, locations that have a history of vote fraud, family-run government, drug-dealing sheriffs, what-have you.

In 23 Kentucky counties, citizens are required to trust their votes to someone named Joe Bolton, who is not an elected official and who is not even a government employee. They probably don't even know they're trusting Joe with their votes, because newspapers don't mention him and the county clerks have no line item for his checks in their published financial statements.

We went through all manner of investigations trying to even locate Joe Bolton, and those are chronicled in the short video and the full reports. Eventually we caught up with him. He has been programming the voting machines in his home in a remote location that even the county election officials don't know much about.

AMONG THE MOST INTERESTING COMMENTS:

Black Box Voting: Okay. Well you've been doing this for 35 years, has anyone ever asked you to do something that made you uncomfortable?

Joe Bolton: Oh, absolutely, get it all the time, I get that all the time you know. "Could you rig this machine?" And I don't know whether it's a conspiracy or a joke, you know, "Could you rig these machines for me Joe? How much would it cost me?" I've heard that for 35 years.

Joe told us all kinds of things, like the Appalachian tradition of vote-buying -- whatever you may have heard, it is alive and well.

Read More »

War is good for business. Everything else be damned. In that same context people always want to give Bush a good deal on a Brooklyn Bridge or an ocean front property in Kansas (or yellow cake or wmd's, etc) and without reservation he goes for his wallet like a father handing out cash to his kids.

Washington's Wars and Occupations
Month in Review #28
August 30, 2007
By Max Elbaum, War Times/Tiempo de Guerras

THE BIG DISCONNECT

The promised September assessment of where things stand in Iraq is around the corner.

So right on cue George Bush declared (Aug. 22) that "a free Iraq" is within reach.

The same day Iraq's Electricity Minister told reporters that "armed groups" - not the Iraqi government - control the switching stations that channel power throughout Iraq's energy grid. A new report from Bush's own Intelligence apparatus declared that prospects for the Iraqi government to unite the country were somewhere between bleak and gloomy.

Bush's dreamland "free Iraq" is part of the President's "support for freedom and democracy throughout the Middle East."

Most Arabs and Muslims, though, see that kind of support as "the kiss of death," according to Turki al-Rasheed, a prominent (and largely pro-U.S.) Saudi reformer. "The minute you are counted on or backed by the Americans, kiss it goodbye, you will never win," al-Rasheed told the New York Times (Aug. 10). The Times went on to report that "The paradox of American policy in the Middle East - promoting democracy on the assumption it will bring countries closer to the West - is that almost everywhere there are free elections, the American-backed side tends to lose."

It's Alice-in-Wonderland come to life. Bush's imaginings (and the imperial interests they are conjured up to defend) vs. the real world and most of the people in it.

And if it isn't hard enough to parse through the bullshit, we have to read between the lines when the Dems say "end the war."

"Even as they call for an end to the war and pledge to bring the troops home, the Democratic presidential candidates are setting out positions that could leave the U.S. engaged in Iraq for years. John Edwards would keep troops in the region to intervene in an Iraqi genocide and be prepared for military action if violence spills into other countries. Hillary Clinton would leave residual forces to fight terrorism and to stabilize the Kurdish region in the north. And Barack Obama would leave a military presence of as-yet unspecified size in Iraq to provide security for American personnel, fight terrorism and train Iraqis."

Bush says we're making progress in Iraq and anyone who differs is "undermining the troops."

I just can't. I'm done. (as Father Luke says)

(italics are mine; the rest is via an email newsletter from war-times.org; not yet published to the website)

What does Al know that we don't? by Steven Weber

Why, given the opportunity that's been presented to him on a silver Prius, is this man not going to run for (and win) the presidency of the United States? If ever there was a clarion call to be answered it is this one: heed the will of the majority of the people, take back the yoke Bush and his cracked team of highjackers have used to steer the country into the ground and pull the ship skyward again.

Why, after his self-imposed banishment to the wilderness (suburbia), where he along with every other sentient being has observed the feckless evil of the current executive tenant and his Neo-posse, does he demur? Could he know that any run at the office would surely turn out to be a hollow chrysalis which, after gestation, would not incubate a butterfly but more likely belch forth a wingless, blind slug; that an educated, experienced, wise adult can lead more effectively and make more of a difference by being an activist/celebrity and riding a wave of pop-culture popularity, rather than relying upon the rusted and jury-rigged contraption quaintly referred to as the electoral process?

Maybe Al knows that America (to paraphrase Paddy Chayefsky) is a dying giant, that perhaps she is dead already. And the "business of government" is merely the scramble of organisms over the carcass's wan, flaking skin; any rumbles from within aren't the sounds of legislators engaged in constructive debate but the gasses issuing from the anuses of the bacteria digesting the sad corpse's putrefying innards. Are we destined to have the presidency so finally and utterly mediocritized that it no longer holds any attraction for the most qualified person in recent memory who would imbue it with the honor and prestige it -- and we -- deserve?

Well then, that's what Al must know. Because only that kind of realization would prevent him from participating. He says that politics no longer holds any allure for him. And really, why should it? He won an Oscar, for chrissakes. He's raised awareness of a real issue that actually effects us all in a way that makes him truly a uniter -- not a divider. He is the world's activist uncle. George Bush standing in front of his American Enterprise Institute portable backdrop can barely scrape up a strangulated hosanna from his meticulously vetted and dwindling audiences.

Having only once appropriated the toxic phrase "cut and run" to describe the result of catching my fishnet stockings on a partially extruded staple embedded in the side of a bed post (A long, dull story. Forget I mentioned it.) I am forced to resurrect it once again. It's an extremely ugly phrase, wielded by extremely ugly people but I will use it as that mediocre apparatchik/harridan Jean Schmidt never intended: to provoke the discouraged conscience of the marginalized true-patriot who would ably restore what has been so ignobly destroyed. On second thought, it's so shallow and inflammatory that I can't stand to apply it even in a good cause. There has to be some other way to convince this man of his worth. May be we need to convince him of our worth?

Because this country, for all its gaudy fascinations, for all its daily desperation to fend off reality by consuming goods from China as though they were oxygen atoms is also a country of souls betrayed by their loyalty to the idea of America the beautiful, the judicious and the brave. And it is not the loyalty itself that is at issue but those whom we have entrusted with it. A presidential election is not a parlor game, though it may resemble one far too closely. It is as close to being a sacred exercise as this secular republic asks of its congregants. We require a real leader now, one with a true understanding of the importance of why this country must function correctly and efficiently. We and the world depend on it. So here's your hat. And there's the ring. America needs you need to lead us now more than ever.

That's what we know that Al doesn't.

A wee bit pretentious, but effective.

link

Bush's Fleurs du Mal
By MAUREEN DOWD
Published: May 27, 2007

The president thinks he can save face if he keeps taunting Democrats as the party of surrender - just as Nixon did - and dumps the Frankenstate he's created on his successor.

For me, the saddest spot in Washington is the inverted V of the black granite Vietnam wall, jutting up with the names of young men dying in a war that their leaders already knew could not be won.

So many died because of ego and deceit - because L.B.J. and Robert McNamara wanted to save face or because Henry Kissinger wanted to protect Nixon's re-election chances.

Now the Bush administration finds itself at that same hour of shame. It knows the surge is not working. Iraq is in a civil war, with a gruesome bonus of terrorists mixed in. April was the worst month this year for the American military, with 104 soldiers killed, and there have been about 90 killed thus far in May. The democracy's not jelling, as Iraqi lawmakers get ready to slouch off for a two-month vacation, leaving our kids to be blown up.

The top-flight counterinsurgency team that President Bush sent in after long years of pretending that we'd "turned the corner" doesn't believe there's a military solution.

--MORE--

So many deaths; so little truth.

Yesterday, Bush's appointees to the Supreme Court did exactly what he selected them to do...

By upholding the Federal Abortion Ban in its entirety, the Supreme Court has not only supported an abortion ban with no exception for a woman's health, it has given the green light to the anti-choice movement's plan to outlaw abortion entirely.

In her dissenting opinion, pro-choice Justice Ginsberg, who called the majority opinion "alarming", writes "...[T]he Act and the Court's defense of it cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this Court."

So how are we going to defeat this ban now that Bush's appointees upheld it? Simple. We're starting an all-out campaign to support the Freedom of Choice Act.

Here's how it starts: The Freedom of Choice Act is legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into law, and guarantee the right to choose for generations to come. But this legislation is just the first step. To ensure we never face an attack like this again, we're not stopping until we've elected a pro-choice president in 2008!

Pro-Choice America


Suddenly 2008 presidential candidates are forced to declare their positions. Has anyone contacted YOU yet? Kate Michelman, who was president of NARAL Pro-Choice America for nearly 20 years, sent me an email to say the following:

This is one of the most important reasons all of us - but especially women - must be fiercely committed to electing a Democratic president in 2008 who will protect and defend our rights. And that is why I am so strongly committed to electing JOHN EDWARDS.

Read what he has to say about the Supreme Court ruling.

Senator John Edwards released the following statement about today's 5-4 Supreme Court ruling upholding the federal abortion ban.

"I could not disagree more strongly with today's Supreme Court decision. The ban upheld by the Court is an ill-considered and sweeping prohibition that does not even take account for serious threats to the health of individual women. This hard right turn is a stark reminder of why Democrats cannot afford to lose the 2008 election. Too much is at stake - starting with, as the Court made all too clear today, a woman's right to choose."

I always think these games are right-on about the predictable buzzwords or talking points that are mentioned. Especially when the "sectarian violence", the pseudonym for civil war, is used.

SOTU Drinking Game 2007

Every time he says.... - # of Drinks

“The state of our union is strong…” (or some version of this) - 1,+1 if he breaks down in tears

"the American people" - 1

troops - small 1

surge - quick 1

Iraq - 1

Baghdad - 1

"sectarian violence" - 1 Car Bomb recipe

Iran - 1

terror (however itÂ’s pronounced) - small 1

detainees - 1, with your hands behind your back

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - 2 (+1 if he pronounces it correctly)

Saddam Hussein or Saddam - 1

elections - 1 if referring to another country's, 2 if referring to the 2006 midterms

freedom - 1

Homeland - 1 if followed by "Security"; 2 if another context

"Bring it on" - Arm-wrestle the person next to you; loser drinks

MORE//

MUSIC | STUFF

* I have Leary surrounded. Interview with John Higgs. link

* Former Mega City Four singer Darren "Wiz" Brown died from a blood clot on the brain on December 6, 2006. Condolences are being received here.

* These swinging dicks have the 'I Got The No Pussy' blues.

* Bob Dylan Live on WBAI. mp3

* You are MOG-ing, aren't you? link

* Dealhack Holiday Shipping Deadlines at Popular Online Stores

* Garrett County Press asked favorite artists to "color in" pages from Kevin Stone's latest project, The Pat Robertson and Friends Coloring Book.

* Hack This: Decorate a glass block from House Hacker. [via]

* How many blue and red people live in your zipcode? Following The Dollars, a Google Maps mashup that points out election donations in your zipcode.

whew! goodnight...

You've seen "High Times." Now photoshop another magazine devoted to an illegal activity (from Fark.com).

Mattress Label Remover Monthly, DUI Times, Border Hopping Monthly, White Collar Crime. I especially like Election Fraud Quarterly I saw on Earthrites and Crack House Beautiful.

link

Hacking Democracy

I just finished watching the HBO documentary Hacking Democracy. This cautionary documentary exposes the vulnerability of computers - which count approximately 80% of America's votes in county, state and federal elections - suggesting that if our votes aren't safe, then our democracy isn't safe either. Premieres Thursday, November 2 at 9pm. It's fair. It's objective. And you won't soon forget it.

In 2002, Seattle grandmother and writer Bev Harris asked officials in her county why they had acquired electronic touch screen systems for their elections. Unsatisfied with their explanation, she set out to learn about electronic voting machines on her own. In the course of her research, which unearthed hundreds of reported incidents of mishandled voting information, Harris stumbled across an "online library" of the Diebold Corporation - which counted more than 40 percent of the presidential votes nationwide in 2000 - discovering a treasure trove of information about the inner-workings of the company's voting system.

Just think of how much pride we put into casting our individual votes. If you get HBO, try to catch a rerun of this documentary.

For more, see Bev Harris' Black Box Voting website.

Keith Olbermann: This Hole in the Ground

"How dare you, Mr. President, after taking cynical advantage of the unanimity and love, and transmuting it into fraudulent war and needless death, after monstrously transforming it into fear and suspicion and turning that fear into the campaign slogan of three elections? How dare you - or those around you - ever 'spin' 9/11? Just as the terrorists have succeeded - are still succeeding - as long as there is no memorial and no construction here at Ground Zero. So, too, have they succeeded, and are still succeeding as long as this government uses 9/11 as a wedge to pit Americans against Americans." [READ MORE...]

Profound piece. This former sportscaster cum newscaster increasingly gains respect for speaking out against the Bush administration's neverending clusterfuck in a very concise and controlled manor.

link

Repukes To-Do list re: Nov 2006 Elections

Stir up immigration issue?

Check.

Gay marriage issue?

Check.

Scare hell out of everyone with impending doom and terrorist attacks?

You betcha.

"These individuals are often hiding in plain sight in cities like Torrance and now Toledo."

BUSH SARCASM AT ITS FINEST
By Peter Fredson

I saw a news item an hour ago which gave me great amusement. The headline read:

US wants new Belarus poll

The story said: “The United States does not accept results of the Belarus election and believes the campaign that re-elected President Alexander Lukashenko was conducted in a ‘”climate of fear’", the White House said today.’”

What a coincidence. I was thinking exactly the same thing about the last election that re-elected President George W. Bush. It too was conducted in a “climate of fear” by which he and Colin and Condi and Dick and Donald scared the entire nation into believing terrorists would strike us any moment in a great mushroom cloud. His lies about weapons of mass destruction led us into this present failed attempt to make Iraq into a neocon colonial nation.

Today the White House spokesman, Scott McClellan said: "We support the call for a new election," and that too was exactly what most of my friends have been thinking for the past 5 years.

Link

Canadian Chandrasutra to my progressive brothers and sisters to the south:

"It's clear from reading your blogs you have learned a lot of very valuable things from the experience (and hangover) of your last presidential election. I'm hoping some of you might be able to share some of those insights with your friends up here in the north."

Treat it like I do sex. Grit your teeth and pray that it's over soon. But seriously, my advice would be not to underplay the impact this news may have on you. When Bush won the last election it was more than just bad news. It was almost 'bed-ridden in a fetal position' bad news.

To a lesser degree it emulated the Five Stages Of Grief.

1. Denial and isolation: "This is not happening to me."
2. Anger: "How dare God do this to me."
3. Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my son graduate."
4. Depression: "I can't bear to face going through this, putting my family through this."
5. Acceptance: "I'm ready, I don't want to struggle anymore."

Five Stages Of Election Rip-Off

1. Denial: "Wake me when it's over for it's gotta be a freaking nightmare."
2. Anger: "How dare Diebold do this to me. Again."
3. Bargaining: "How far is it to Canada?"
4. Despression: "What wine goes well with Prozac?"
5. Acceptance: Will let you know if/when it happens.

saturday morning me//
long purple slinky gown & robe/ballet flats/lap quilt/
took out the dog/got the paper/a brisk 17° F/
visine/zantac/ginseng/milk thistle/
coffee/oj/banana/g-blonde cigs/
listening: left of center on sirius radio/
hows about you?/

* How many blue and red people live in your zipcode? Following The Dollars, a Google Maps mashup that points out 2004 election donations in your zipcode. [via]

* Interactive Pimp My Nutcracker is a fun time-waster.

Quote For Today
"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

Asheville's a "Cool City" – officially

When President George W. Bush pulled the United States out of the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement to curb global warming by reducing fossil-fuel emissions, a grassroots movement sprung up in municipalities across the country to commit cities to the international agreement's pollution-reduction goals.

Asheville NC's outgoing mayor, Charles Worley, became the 188th city leader to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection agreement on Nov. 16.

Is your city a Cool City?

Link

Bush didn't think the Kyoto treaty was a priority? He may chop it off at the federal level knees, but concerned people are finding a way around it by taking it to the streets. Well, to the cities and states. So... can't we find a way to do that with a presidential election and leap-frog the sheeple's choice?

Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!

Looking for an easy way to protest Bush foreign policy week after week? And an easy way to help alleviate global poverty? Buy your gasoline at Citgo stations.

And tell your friends.

Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor. The country is Venezuela. The President is Hugo Chavez. Call him "the Anti-Bush."

Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Money you pay to Citgo goes to Venezuela -- not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. There are 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the US. By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans.

Instead of using government to help the rich and the corporate, as Bush does, Chavez is using the resources and oil revenue of his government to help the poor in Venezuela. A country with so much oil wealth shouldn't have 60 percent of its people living in poverty, earning less than $2 per day. With a mass movement behind him, Chavez is confronting poverty in Venezuela. That's why large majorities have consistently backed him in democratic elections. And why the Bush administration supported an attempted military coup in 2002 that sought to overthrow Chavez.

So this is the opposite of a boycott. Call it a BUYcott. Spread the word.

Of course, if you can take mass transit or bike or walk to your job, you should do so. And we should all work for political changes that move our country toward a cleaner environment based on renewable energy. The BUYcott is for those of us who don't have a practical alternative to filling up our cars. StoreLocator

So get your gas at Citgo. And help fuel a democratic revolution in Venezuela. Link

(Related: Chavez maintains that the DEA has been using the fight against drugs as a pretext to gather intelligence on Venezuela. [more »])

**Update--May 11, 2005
WAYNESVILLE - Pastor Chan Chandler submitted his resignation to the members of East Waynesville Baptist Church on Tuesday, a move some said was the only way to resolve current tensions at the church. link

Members Say Church Ousts Kerry Supporters
A Baptist pastor in North Carolina has touched off an exodus in his church by declaring Democrats are not welcome as members.

The Rev. Chan Chandler of East Waynesville Baptist Church in Waynesville ex-communicated nine members who refuse to support President Bush, according to WLOS-TV in Asheville, N.C.

Another 40 have left in protest in a controversy that began before the election last November and came to a head Sunday.

"He preached a sermon on abortion and homosexuality, then said if anyone there was planning on voting for John Kerry, they should leave," said Selma Morris, a 30-year member of the church. "That’s the first time I’ve ever heard something like that. Ministers are supposed to bring people in." "[Chandler] told us that if we didn't support George Bush we needed to resign our position and get out, or go to the altar and repent, and support George Bush."

Chandler, who could not be reached for comment, has insisted his actions are not politically motivated.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek sharply criticized the pastor Friday, saying Chandler jeopardized his church's tax-free status by openly supporting a candidate for president.

A contributor to the leading liberal weblog Daily Kos wrote: "For those that thought that there has not been a full scale war lanched against liberals; for those who didn't take the radical right's promise to "eradicate liberals" seriously, I present to you, Exhibit A: East Waynesville Baptist Church has just kicked out all its Democratic members."

This sad spectacle is the predictable consequence of the radical religious right's insistence on measuring a person’s religion by social-political litmus tests. How soon will others follow suit? [more »]

Daily Web Trail

:: NYTImes has a nice piece on Dr Ecstacy, Andrew Shulgin. He also has a blog, Ask Dr Shulgin, which isn't being utilized often enough.

:: Rushkoff covers exactly what we're discussing at my house today about the Iraqi election: "How do you feel? Are the elections real? Do they vindicate Bush and his posse at all? Are they simply a happy side-effect of an otherwise disastrous war?" How can you not be touched by their enthusiasm?

:: I've not posted about LaChapelle in awhile, but he's definitely due. Here are some great photos from Sundance screening of Rize, by celebrity photographer-filmmaker David Lachapelle. His first film chronicles a dance movement in South-Central Los Angeles known as "krumping," a high-energy dance where the performers dress as clowns.

{Today's Quote}
Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business. ~Tom Robbins

Web Trail
The Orifice of Homelandabsurdity - is now opened and ready for bidnezz. Conceived and brought to fruition by Cyndy Roy.
The election is over. The fight is not. Turn Your Back On Bush.
Ashcroft Goodbye Card - from the gang.
Made You Think - What's that funky smell?
Jane Fulton Alt - Fine Art Photography (below)



Fallen Angel

{News|Local}
Asheville activists expose Victoria's Dirty Little Secret. On Friday November 12, forest activists in Asheville mobbed the Victoria's Secret store in the Asheville carrying a Giant Puppet that read "Corporate Greed is trashing our Forests" (see photo). Activists disrupted shopping in front the Victoria's Secret distibuting flyers to the gathering crowd of shoppers. The activists eventually left the mall escorted by security but not before distributing hundreds of flyers throughout the mall and sending a strong message to Victoria's Secret with ANOTHER demonstration at one of their stores as the holiday shopping season gets rolling. more »

{Fun|Political}
George Bush Build-A-Speech - War Rhetoric Kit

{News|MeMeMe}
Anyone recall the mainstream media reporting natiowide protests over the election results? Neither do I. Maybe we should change where we get our mainline news geez. I've always tempered my online news with tv news (or vice versa), about 50/50. Excessive election results gloating made my decision easy to delete the news channels from my satellite receiver. Except for NWI, (News World International - mostly Canadian news) and LinkTV which give the World/International perspectives. About 90% I get from the internet from all the great alternative news sources we've all come to rely on.

So no more CNN. No more MSNBC. And definitely no more ABC, NBC, CBS. This television news jones is not as painful as I had expected.

{News|Canada}
George W. Bush is making an official visit to Canada November 30 - December 1. Canada making plans to "welcome" him. Ottawa 'No To Bush' Committee and Canadian Peace Alliance have cast a wide protest organizational net. more »

{Music|Local}
Ras Alan - Appalachian Reggae. Two worlds you don't typically think of coming together. Dreadneck music.


I took some coloring out of the photo so it wouldn't take so long for this page to load. Actual photograph is larger and color quality is more developed. Thanks, Joshua!

Election Bummer Webtrail

How did the tragedy of 9/11 turn into a mass psychology message to accept Bush? Who told us to salute? Why should we? Greg Palast's piece today is worth a read. more »

Emma Brockes on how George Bush's victory catapaulted liberal Britain into a collective depression. Our good friends across the pond offer their condolescences. more »

CNN techie names image file of preznit Bush "asshole.jpg" - screenshots. (via: maruthecrankpot)

Cyndy's got so much good information, I couldn't link only a few, so stop in and have yourself a look around.

What're You Going To Do? Let 'er rip and say fuck it all? Channel all that anger and move elsewhere? Accept defeat graciously? Given how much the United States as a nation professes to value freedom, your freedom to opt out of the nation itself is surprisingly limited. Read about renouncing your citizenship for Canada, Mexico, France, Carribean. Even if you don't move, it may help you feel better knowing there's other possibilities.

Electing to Leave - Link

Vote, Then Die, says Philadelphia's CityPaper, who brings us the "Bush Victory Survival Guide" complete with tips on how to go on living in this brave new world. Also find there links to apply for a visa, permit, etc.

Tell me what's helping you come to grips with the election outcome. Anyone happy about it?

Hope your voting experience was positive and hassle free.

Depending on the election turnout, I have a John Kerry Victory post drafted and waiting or I'll be in mourning and attending a grief counseling appointment tomorrow.

**I was telling Mac earlier that I'm just petrified thinking about how much more damage a Republican House, Senate and Prez can do in four more years and how many more people will have to die in the Iraq greedfest. And I worry if there'll be any forests left. And about Women's Rights, and their Right to Choose, the Patriot Act I & II and what else they have in store for us in that vein. The changes to our Constitution couldn't be more wrong, gambling with our Social Security, and if there's not a draft before long I'll be surprised, and on and on and on.....

I just want what's best for all Americans and no one will ever be able to convince me that a Republican will be the one to do that job. If you ask someone what makes America great, they'll tell you it's the chance to have the American Dream. To go to school, to find decent housing, for only the best opportunities, to have proper healthcare, and to raise a family, etc. Guess what? That's the fundamental priorities of the Democratic Party, the Independents and Greens. Droves of people from other continents and countries don't come to the United States just to strike it rich in the stock market, or to see that pharmaceutical companies needs are met before health care. They didn't come from far away to tear down the forests for more buildings. Or to let our air get stunk up from pollution by companies who suffer no repercussions. They didn't come all the way over here to work hard, then lose their job to outsourcing, or to make those hard decisions of whether to buy groceries or buy their medicine.

We're a nation divided alright. And not just between Democrats and Republicans.

Sometimes when we want something to happen, we can visualize it. If you're a Kerry supporter, Paul Levy, spiritually informed political activist, suggests that we visualize John Kerry winning the Presidential election.


Michael Moore: "In your heart of hearts you know Bush is a miserable failure..." more »

Soldiers reveal the truth about the war @ Operation Truth.

Ten Thousand Monkeys Election Issue is out.

Ani DiFranco: "...all of the rights and freedoms that we brag about around the world, were fought for by activists." more »

John Edwards: "Tomorrow, hope will arrive".

If he were my Bush, I'd shave him off.

I'm shuttling folks to the polls tomorrow from 6:30a - 10:00a. (Must have gotten the short straw) Will return tomorrow for mutual commiseration and hand-wringing until the results roll in.

Who should you vote for? High Times recommends John Kerry. Would you call that a glowing recomendation?

from the article: "Here's to all those foxy chicks in skimpy attire out there who can't get enough of Bill and want to play a little O'Reilly crossword." Bill O'Reilly Crossword Puzzle

"The army vaccinated me against Anthrax, Botulism, Smallpox, and Sarin. Once I get the Ricin vaccine I get a happy meal." -Stanley in Denver from: Enjoy The Draft Where do I stand on the draft story? I don't know if it's election year talk or not, but what I've read so far seems to indicate they're discussing that possibility. I still want to research it more; follow the rumors. It's what my 16 yo daughter and her friends are worrying about.

Hunter S Thompson weighs in: "Of course I will vote for John Kerry. I have known him for thirty years as a good man with a brave heart -- which is more than even the president's friends will tell you about George W. Bush, who is also an old acquaintance from the white-knuckle days of yesteryear. He is hated all over the world, including large parts of Texas, and he is taking us all down with him." more »

Because blood is thinner than oil. Bush Relatives For Kerry

WEHT Leslie West (Mountain)? I saw where it's his birthday today. 59 years old.

I feel a sin coming on.

Visualize Kerry & Fast For Bush

[1] Light a candle. Gaze at the flame. Get calm.

[2] Slowly repeat the intentions, or listen to the audio version. See the visualization ideas as very real.

Give a spiritual component to this Presidential election. Because visualization has great power to do good, here are some ways to promote, spread, and multiply Kerry Visualiation to help change the American consciousness.

Ok. It's an unorthodox campaign approach. With so much at stake, you should use every tool at your disposal, right? (via: Asheville Magazine)

Fast For George W - Don't eat for Bush. Hundreds are fasting today for Dubya.

:: :: :: :: ::
Attention: Starbucks! Another freethinker on the loose. He only asked to have his Cappuccino Grande made with Fair Trade coffee and "...they both glanced across at me, making me feel like I'd asked her for a sexual favour rather than a cup of coffee." Link

more good chit
Rox Populi
Net Politik
Stew Albert
Freakshow Art

For some reason, woman oriented politics are especially likely to give rise to silly labels, from the "soccer moms" of yesteryear to the "security moms" of today, and cringe-worthy catch phrases like the Bush campaign's "W Stands for Women." A few years ago, Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway spoke of "the three 'magic M's'—marriage, mortgage, and munchkins" that move women toward conservative politics. This year, a concert/political event in New York intended to galvanize young women's vote in support of the Democrats was titled "Chicks Rock, Vaginas Vote." In the presidential election, the candidates in their urgency to garner the women's vote, sometimes do more harm than good. Neither one of them has reached out for the women's vote that I can see. Link

Long Trip For Psychedelic Drugs - Psilocybin for headaches? A proposal for testing MDMA as a treatment for anxiety in terminal cancer? Link


Dave’s addiction - Red-hot rock guitarist Dave Navarro talks about his latest project: A book documenting his road to recovery, among other big changes, Don’t Try This at Home: A Year in the Life of Dave Navarro.

Free Speech Movement @ 40 - Veterans plan commemoration in Berkeley in October.

So long, Hurricane Jeanne. Thank you for missing me.

I've been quite passionate about and used to write quite often about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (8 posts in 2003) and the atrocities in Burma (Myanmar). The way I understand it, Burma was able to have an actual democratic election for the first time in their history and she was elected president. Her father had previously been a leader there. Soon, the military junta that rule Burma, assaulted her caravan and she's been kept for years in seclusion under "house arrest". I read a Suu Kyi email list and have seen how the people just adore her. Now Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sting and U2 are joining forces on a benefit album for the Burmese democracy activist and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Aung San Suu Kyi.

If the US wants to help some country with freedom and democracy, why haven't they been more diligent about Burma's situation? [more ]

*Mouse-over the picture for full effect. Learn how it's done at Mandarin Design.

Quote For Today
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
~Kahlil Gibran

You HAVE been to visit What She Said, haven't you? No? Well get your ass in gear. Now.

I embarass my offspring.

Sundance Channel and Air America Radio present, The Al Franken Show. Premiering tonight, Tuesday night, September 7 @ 11:30 pm and every week night.

As this year's presidential election heats up, so do things at Sundance Channel. Sundance Channel will air an abridged one-hour television show of Al Franken's radio show on Air America every weeknight at 11:30pm. Tune in as Mr. Franken makes short work of today's headlines and welcomes a who's who of today's political landscape.

Good news. I'll be tuning in.

RNC Schedule
New York, NY
6:00 PM - Opening Prayer led by the Reverend Jerry Falwell
6:30 PM - Pledge of Allegiance
6:35 PM - Ceremonial Burning of Bill of Rights (excluding 2nd Amendment)
6:45 PM - Salute to the Coalition of the Willing
6:46 PM - Seminar #1: Katherine Harris on "Are Elections Really Necessary?"
7:30 PM - Announcement: Lincoln Memorial Renamed for Ronald Reagan
7:35 PM - Trent Lott-Re-segregation in the 21st Century
7:40 PM - EPA Address #1: Mercury: It's What's for Dinner
8:00 PM - Vote on which country to invade next
8:10 PM - Call EMTs to revive Rush Limbaugh
8:15 PM - John Ashcroft Lecture: The Homos Are After Your Children
8:30 PM - Round table discussion on reproductive rights (men only)
8:50 PM - Seminar #2: Corporations: The Government of the Future
9:00 PM - Condi Rice sings "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
9:05 PM - Phyllis Schlafly speaks on "Why Women Shouldn't Be Leaders"
9:10 PM - EPA Address #2: Trees: The Real Cause of Forest Fires
9:30 PM - break for secret meetings
10:00 PM - Second Prayer led by Cal Thomas
10:15 PM - Karl Rove Lecture: Doublespeak Made Simple
10:30 PM - Rumsfeld Lecture/Demonstration: How to Squint and Talk Macho Even When You Feel Squishy Inside
10:35 PM - Bush demonstration of trademark "deer in headlights" stare
10:40 PM - John Ashcroft Demonstration: New Mandatory Kevlar Chastity Belt
10:45 PM - GOP's Tribute to Tokenism, featuring Colin Powell & Condi Rice
10:46 PM - Ann Coulter's Tribute to "Joe McCarthy, Great American Patriot"
10:50 PM - Seminar #3: Education: A Drain on Our Nation's Economy
11:10 PM - Hilary Clinton Pinata
11:20 PM - John Ashcroft Lecture: Evolutionists: A Dangerous New Cult
11:30 PM - Call EMTs to revive Rush Limbaugh again
11:35 PM - Blame Clinton
11:40 PM - Newt Gingrich speaks on "The Sanctity of Marriage"
11:41 PM - Announcement: Ronald Reagan to be added to Mt. Rushmore
11:50 PM - Closing Prayer led by Jesus Himself
12:00 PM - Nomination of George W. Bush as Holy Supreme Planetary Overlord


A31 Coalition
Artists Network of Refuse and Resist
Billionaires For Bush
Code Pink
CounterConvention
Critical Mass Radio #
DNC2RNC Democracy Uprising
Gotham Gazette
Greene Dragon
No RNC Sound Coalition #
Not in Our Name
NYC Indymedia *
Pagan Cluster
RNC Not Welcome
RNC Watch *
Still We Rise
The UnConvention
Time's Up
United For Peace & Justice
Updates @ Indymedia *

* = Most informative
# = Live broadcasting

FYI: WABC-TV, in New York City, is being broadcast live, when events warrant, throughout the week on CSPAN television.

Monday was full of errands. Don't you love going to the DMV (Department Of Motor Vehicles)? I had only 19 people ahead of me, so it could have been worse. And has.

World Of Alternatives - A Portal of Brainwave Harmonics, Alternative Medicine, Pagan, Homeopathy, Psychedelic, New Age and Occult links covering the whole world wide web. Specialist links to Magick, Crop Circles, Tarot, Wicca, Paranormal is called, Strange Directory, and is believed to be the largest database of its kind.

Too much posturing and bravado appearing in the US Presidential election ads. The Cowboy vs The Soldier. Kerry likes to spend his time riding Harleys or slaughtering wildlife and 'Bring It On' Bush likes to spend his free time clearing brush on his Texas ranch, dressed in a sweaty T-shirt and a cowboy hat. Just two macho men running for Prez.

We should have an arena for Bush and Kerry, pull out a ruler (or yardstick?) and be done with it. The winner would be the one with the biggest.... biceps. [link via kane]

{Quote Of The Day}
The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose. ~ Heda Bejar

Have you registered to vote yet? Did you know that 47 out of 50 states let you register to vote online? It couldn't be simpler. You know you'll feel much better when you wake up November 3 and hear that John Kerry is the new President, if you had a part in making that happen. The country and the rest of the world is counting on us to make a regime change.

Register To Vote - This 33 page pdf file, includes instructions and applications for each state. Deadline is between 15 and 30 days before the election on November 2, depending on your state. An online envelope is even provided for you to print out and fold. Just add a stamp. You can also make a name change or address change.