In Honor of the Holiday

This guy doesn't need a costume.

The best carved pumpkin I've seen this year.

Ahhhh. Who's the cutest logger on the planet?

You Are Not Alone

Message from the CLANDESTINE REVOLUTIONARY INDIGENOUS COMMITTEE-GENERAL COMMAND of the ZAPATISTA ARMY OF NATIONAL LIBERATION MEXICO.

October 30, 2006.

To the people of Mexico:
To the people of the world:
To the Other Campaign in Mexico and the other side of the Rio Grande:
To the entire Sixth International:

Compañeros and compañeras:
Brothers and sisters:

It is now known publicly that yesterday, 29th of October 2006, Vicente Fox’s federal forces attacked the people of Oaxaca and its most legitimate representative, the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO).

Today, the federal troops have assassinated at least 3 people, among them a minor, leaving dozens of wounded, including many women from Oaxaca. Dozens of detainees were illegally transported to military prisons. All this comes in addition to the existing total of deaths, detainees and missing persons since the beginning of the mobilization demanding that Ulises Ruiz step down as Oaxaca’s governor.

The sole objective of the federal attack is to maintain Ulises Ruiz in power and to destroy the popular grassroots organization of the people of Oaxaca.

Oaxaca’s people are resisting. Not one single honest person can remain quiet and unmoved while the entire society, of which the majority are indigenous, is murdered, beaten and jailed.
We, the Zapatistas, will not be silent; we will mobilize to support our brothers, sisters and comrades in Oaxaca.

The EZLN’s Sixth Commission has already consulted the Zapatista leadership and the following has been decided:

First: During whole day of November 1, 2006, the major and minor roads that cross Zapatistas territories in the southwestern state of Chiapas will be closed.

Consequently, we ask that everyone avoid traveling by these roads in Chiapas on this day and that one make the necessary arrangements in order to do so.

Second: through the Sixth Commission, the EZLN has begun making contact and consulting other political and social organizations, groups, collectives and individuals in the Other Campaign, in order to coordinate joint solidarity actions across Mexico, leading to a nationwide shut-down on the 20th of November, 2006.

Third: the EZLN calls out to the Other Campaign in Mexico and north of the Rio Grande, so that these November 1st mobilizations happen wherever possible, completely, partially, at intervals or symbolically shutting down the major artery roads, streets, toll booths, stations, airports and commercial media.

Fourth: The central message that the Zapatistas send and will continue sending is that the people of Oaxaca are not alone: They are not alone!

Ulises Ruiz out of Oaxaca!

Immediate withdrawal of the occupying federal forces from Oaxaca!

Immediate and unconditional freedom for all detainees!

Cancel all arrest warrants!

Punish the murderers!

Justice!Freedom!Democracy!

From the North of Mexico.

For the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee-
General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.
For the EZLN Sixth Commission.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

Mexico, October, 2006.

Translation: Radio Pacheco

For more information, please see Narco News and IndyMedia and read the BBC's summary of what the protest is all about. All of this started because some teachers decided to go on strike for better pay and textbooks. Sappho and Supergirlest have excellent posts up also. If anyone knows of any other links to news sources, please leave them in the comments.

Think this kind of state sponsored repression can't happen here? Think again.

(Photos: AP)

For Daniel

The trouble around difference is really about privilege & power-the existence of privilege & the lopsided distribution of power that keeps it going. The trouble is rooted in a legacy that we all inherited, and WHILE WE'RE HERE IT BELONGS TO US. It isn't our fault. It wasn't caused by something we did or didn't do. But now that it's ours, it's up to us to decide how we're going to deal with it before we collectively pass it along to the generations that will follow ours.

- Allen G. Johnson

98

October 1

Sergeant Denise A. Lannaman
Sergeant Mario Nelson
Corporal Chase A. Haag
Captain Justin D. Peterson
Lance Corporal Christopher B. Cosgrove III

October 2

Sergeant Joseph W. Perry
Private 1st Class Michael K. Oremus
Specialist Justin R. Jarrett
Staff Sergeant James D. Ellis
Specialist Raymond S. Armijo
Specialist Kristofer C. Walker
Private 1st Class Satieon V. Greenlee
Staff Sergeant Joe A. Narvaez
Corporal Aaron L. Seal

October 3

Staff Sergeant Jonathan Rojas
Staff Sergeant Daniel Isshak

October 4

Corporal Benjamin S. Rosales
Lance Corporal Edward M. Garvin
Staff Sergeant Christopher O. Moudry
Specialist George R. Obourn Jr.
Specialist Timothy Burke
Private 1st Class Dean Bright

October 6

Lance Corporal John Edward Hale
Corporal Bradford H. Payne
Corporal Nicholas A. Arvanitis

October 7

Specialist John Edward Wood
Sergeant Lawrence Parrish
Corporal Carl W. Johnson II
Sergeant Brandon S. Asbury

October 8

Lance Corporal Derek W. Jones
Captain Robert M. Secher
Private 1st Class Shane R. Austin
Lance Corporal Stephen F. Johnson
Lance Corporal Jeremy Scott Sandvick Monroe
Specialist Timothy Fulkerson

October 9

Private 1st Class Shelby J. Feniello
Lance Corporal Jon Eric Bowman
Private 1st Class Phillip B. Williams
Sergeant Julian M. Arechaga

October 11

Sergeant Justin T. Walsh
Captain Shane T. Adcock
Sergeant Nicholas R. Sowinski

October 12

Sergeant Gene A. Hawkins

October 13

Lieutenant Johnny K. Craver
Private 1st Class Kenny F. Stanton Jr.
Private 1st Class Thomas J. Hewett

October 14

Private 1st Class Keith J. Moore
1st Sergeant Charles M. King
Staff Sergeant Joseph M. Kane
Specialist Timothy J. Lauer
Sergeant Jonathan J. Simpson
Airman 1st Class Leebenard E. Chavis

October 15

Sergeant Jr., Lester Domenico Baroncini
Private 1st Class Stephen Bicknell
1st Lieutenant Joshua Deese
Sergeant Jonathan E. Lootens
Captain Mark C. Paine
Sergeant Brock A. Babb
Lance Corporal Joshua M. Hines

October 17

Specialist Daniel W. Winegeart
Staff Sergeant Ronald L. Paulsen
Specialist Joseph C. Dumas Jr.
Corporal David M. Unger
Corporal Russell G. Culbertson III
2nd Lieutenant Christopher E. Loudon
Staff Sergeant Ryan E. Haupt
Sergeant Norman R. Taylor III
Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan J. Frigo
Staff Sergeant Garth D. Sizemore
2nd Lieutenant Joshua L. Booth

October 18

Sergeant 1st Class Daniel A. Brozovich
Jose R. Perez
Staff Sergeant Jesus M. Montalvo

October 19

Lance Corporal Edwardo Lopez Jr.

October 20

Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte

October 21

Lance Corporal Eric W. Herzberg
Sergeant 1st Class Tony L. Knier
Corporal Joshua C. Watkins
Lance Corporal Nicholas J. Manoukian
Lance Corporal Nathan R. Elrod
Lance Corporal Clifford R. Collinsworth

October 22

Specialist Nicholas K. Rogers
Sergeant Willsun M. Mock
Specialist Matthew W. Creed
Specialist Nathaniel A. Aguirre
Major David G. Taylor

October 23

1st Lieutenant Amos C. R Bock
Hospital Corpsman Charles O. Sare
Lance Corporal Richard A. Buerstetta
Lance Corporal Tyler R. Overstreet
Specialist Carl A. Eason

October 25

Private 1st Class Donald S. Brown
Sergeant Thomas M. Gilbert
Private 1st Class Daniel B. Chaires
Lance Corporal Jonathan B. Thornsberry
Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles V. Komppa

October 26

1st Sergeant Ricky L. McGinnis

October 27

Luke Zimmerman

Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

"Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question:

Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it." - George W. Bush

"We are standing up, and the sacrifice is worth it." - George W. Bush

My Happy Post

Supergirlest recently reminded me how important it is to remember what makes us happy, particularly when the current state of the world looks so dreary. So, in her honor, and also for my own benefit, here are ten things that make me happy:

1. Apple-blossom scented springs
2. Picking wild blueberries
3. Inner-tubing the Walla Walla River in July
4. Spanish guitar music, especially Boleros and Trios
5. Butterflies
6. Used book stores
7. Loose-leaf teas
8. Pan dulce
9. My maternal grandmother's whistle
10. Soft flannel pajamas

Anything make you happy today?

Liars.

(huge tip of the hat to MoxieGrrrl)

In Translation

For those of you who may have missed it, the Decider addressed the nation today. Click, click click right over to norbizness and read the best interpretation of his speech I've seen yet.

I'm Sure

Of All The Nerve

Michael J. Fox made this heartbreaking TV ad:


and then Rush Limbaugh accused him of faking for the camera.

I've despised Limbaugh ever since my mother forced me to listen to his incessant, hateful diatribes during my grade school years. Unable to drive and still legally and financially dependent, I was subjected to the "EIB" network in the car and in the kitchen. In between the blah blah blahs, I was deeply annoyed by the callers who identified themselves as "Ditto Heads," as if they were proud of their elite membership in the club of idiocy. Even when I didn't understand the political ranting, I still hated the sound of Rush's voice, drumming on and on with sweeping generalizations of verbal vomit.

And then there were the long, holier-than-everyone soliloquies, where he basically just said the same thing over and over and over and over again.

I remember loving the sweet satisfaction of the moment I worked the "So, I guess Rush Limbaugh is a drug addict" comment into a routine telephone comment with my mother. I loved the hypocracy of his confession. Substance abuse is a flaw of the weak minded, he had said, all the while abusing his own drug.

I've become numb to the dribble, and it's been long enough now that no one I know (except my mother) takes him seriously. So, I leave it up to Media Matters and FAIR to keep up with the daily inconsistencies, contradictions, and fabrications.

But this time, he's gone too far.

Not only does Rush owe Michael J. Fox a formal apology, but he owes an apology to every single individual who is living with a progressive neurological disease for which we have no cure.

UPDATE 10/27: My friend, The Poetry Man, has written a must-read poem in honor of this asshole. He speaks for me.

I Heart David Sedaris

Last night I took a break from studying for my midterm exams and went to hear one of my favorite authors read some stories that, because of subject content, won't ever be aired on This American Life. I can't believe that I allowed myself to practically forget how therapeutic it is to laugh until your stomach hurts.

Invest in your own stress relief by picking up previously enjoyed copies here. You won't be disappointed.

Happy Dad Birthday

Thanks for always finding ways to inspire us to find the humor in life.

When you put these glasses on at the Portland Saturday Market

and started dancing around, I was laughing so hard

that I couldn't hold the camera still!

I love you, Dad. Hope you find time to take

a well-deserved nap today.

Blasphemy

The devil and destroyer of communities across America is so desperate for a good PR campaign that they have resorted to paying such a firm to pose as a blogger.

In other news, check out this internal "for management distribution only memo" documenting Walmart's new salary caps. Even Wal-Mart's supporters have had it and are cutting all ties to the big-box retailer.

For Professor Zero

I recently discovered this blog, and have been mesmorized ever since. The author writes in the memory of Paulo Freire, who said:

In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity...become oppressors of the oppressors, but rather restorers of the humanity of both. This is the great humanistic and historic task of the oppressed; to liberate themselves of their oppressors. Oppressors who oppress, and exploit and rape by virtue of thier power, cannot find the strength to liberate either the oppressed or themselves. Only power that springs from the weakness of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong to free both.

Be inspired. Go read the Professor's blog.

Dr. M. L. King, Jr., Republican?

Some wackos are saying so.

A Primer

This book needs to be circulated all over Capital Hill. Click here to read the latest.

A New Democratic Low

"The state attorney general's office is investigating a letter received by some Southern California Hispanics that says it is a crime for immigrants to vote and tells them they could be jailed or deported if they go to the polls next month." Read the rest of the AP story here.

Of course, citizens can vote in any election, regardless of where they were born, but an official-looking letter, in Spanish, threatening jail or deportation for doing so, could certainly keep many naturalized citizens from finding their local polling places.

Bitch PhD said, "I hope this bullshit gets heavy regional news coverage. And I hope it pisses off the people it was meant to scare, and that they turn out in droves at the polls."

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Update: California GOP leadership calls for its own candidate to drop out of the race! And...News travels fast! Keith Olbermann featured this story on Countdown 10/19/2006!

It's Official

Go read the tombstone of the Bill of Rights at Quaker Agitator, the sharp commentary of Chuck at The Divided States of bu$hmerica.

"It is a rare occasion when a president can sign a bill that he knows will save American lives. I have that privilege this morning."---George W. Bush

Off topic but important, none the less: The one bill that made it to his desk that did meet this qualification, the legislation supporting stem-cell research, he chose not to sign. Maybe what he meant to say was that it is a rare occasion when a president gets to sign a bill that historians will one day identify as the single piece of legislation that took the state of American freedom and democracy from bad to worse.

Today in History

John Brown, a white abolitionist, was admant in his refusal to stand idly by and watch the perpetuation of slavery. In spite of the fact that he was never financially successful, even filing for bankruptcy, he is know for giving land to fugitive slaves. He also participated in the Underground Railroad, and, in 1851, halped establish the League of Gileadites, an organization that worked to protect escaped slaves from slave catchers.

Frederick Douglass stated that, "though a white gentleman, [Brown] is in sympathy a black man, and as deeply interested in our cause, as though his own soul had been pierced with the iron of slavery."

On this day, in 1859, John Brown led the raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. He believed that armed revolution was necessary to permanently end slavery in America.

After the trial that convicted him of treason and sentenced him to death by hanging, Henry David Thoreau said, "No man in America has ever stood up so persistently and effectively for the dignity of human nature. . . ."

Sunday's Public Service Announcement

H.R. 418 - The National ID Card legislation.

What does the registry mean?

Warrentless Wire Tapping Approved by Congress.

Rocky Mountain High

Yes, it's happening in Colorado. No, it has nothing to do with elevation.

Go here to watch the campaign ad in which God tells Moses that a state minimum wage increase, adjusted annually for inflation, would be a catastrophe.

You just can't make this stuff up.

H/T Musings of a Working Mom.

RESUME OF GEORGE W. BUSH

RESUME OF GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington , DC 20520

Education And Experience:

Law Enforcement - I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver’s license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been “lost” and is not available.

Military - I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.

College - I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

Past Work Experience - I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn’t find any oil in Texas . The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock. I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry, including Enron CEO Ken Lay, I was elected governor of Texas.

Accomplishments as Governor of Texas - I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America. I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money. I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.

With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father’s appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes.

Accomplishments As President - I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record. I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week. I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury. I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history. I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period. I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period. I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history ofthe US stock market.

In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month. I’m proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any Administration in U.S. history. My “poorest millionaire,” Condoleezza Rice, had a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President. I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations. My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.

I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history. I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts. I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.

I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government. I’ve broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.

I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.

I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. “prisoners of war” detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention. I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).

I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television. I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.

I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history. I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.

I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.

I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.

I am supporting development of a nuclear “Tactical Bunker Buster,” a WMD.

I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden [sic] to justice.

I pressured the legislative branch into passing the Military Commission Act, becoming the first President since Abraham Lincoln to effectively throw out "Habeas Corpus". H/T Beltway Bastard.

Records And References

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father’s library, sealed and unavailable for public view. All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view. All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.

I am a member of the Republican Party.

H/T BlueHerald.

*If anyone out there has anything they'd like to add to this,

leave it in the comments and I will happily update!

Five Things Feminism Has Taught Me:

A few days back, Sappho tagged me on this subject. Read her excellent comments here.

I have learned so much from feminism and feminists that limiting myself to five things seems sort of like answering an essay question with the word, "Yup." The wonderful thing about feminism and feminist thought is that I am constantly learning. I look forward to a life-long feminist education.

So far, here are five random things, of dozens, that I have learned. This list is by no means inclusive or exhaustive of my thoughts on this subject, and they are in no specific order.

1. I am an active participant in my reality. The patriarchy defines me only if do not exercise my right to define myself. Feminism has taught me not only that I have the power to define myself on my own terms, but it has provided me with excellent role models.
2. Women have a special obligation to ensure that our history is recorded orally, visually, and otherwise. If we let them, those who oppress us will erase our contributions.
3. The bickering among women over who deserves to call themselves a feminist divides us. Our movement does not benefit by these philosophical debates. When we are busy deciding who is a "real" feminist, the patriarchy is strengthened.
4. Because we understand what it is like to be systematically under-paid, under-valued, under-served, and under-educated, we must, must, must, dedicate ourselves to fighting all forms of oppression, where ever we see it.
5. While acknowledging the tremendous gains we have made, we must be ever vigilant to preserve and protect these rights. Our mothers and grandmothers fought for that we must never take for granted.

Now, I tag Bitch Phd.

A Columbus Day Poem

Colombus Day Observed 2006

I wanted to sleep in today,

Warm beneath my sheets,

Warm inside my house,

Leaving the early crisp October chill just beyond my comprehension,

Behind barred and shaded windows

That keep me and the public shielded from reality

But the sound of US sponsored bullets

Ricocheting off of innocent Iraqi skin

Shook me from my sleep and pulled me out of bed

A screaming reminder me that no matter what the calendar says

It’s still the same colonization invasion game going down

On this so called U S of A holiday.


I wanted to mourn today

Stay home and dress in black for the Palestinians and Lebanese killed by Israeli soldiers today.

I wanted to light candles for Afghanistan

Burn incense for the first nations

And cry my eyes out for Filiberto y Puerto Rico.

The 514 year old wounds bleed fresh

Spilling raped, mixed blood.

And I wanted to fast today

Deny my body the comfort

Of first world fast food disposable genitically modified drugs

But my children,

Born and yet to be born

Demanded to be fed

Demanded answers for their homework from the halls of miseducation.

Because she has off today

to celebrate her so called discovery

And I am left nervous

Wondering if when I remind her of the truth

She’ll agree that we were better left uncivilized.


I wanted to celebrate today,

By torching court houses and tearing down prison walls,

bombing national monuments

And taking back every last thing that has been stolen from me and those before me

From us.

I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs a huge

“FUCK YOU y VETE PA’L CARAJO”

to the spirit of Columbus marching down Fifth Avenue

and the Italianos using genocide as costume for their pride

But I was too busy struggling to survive today.

I was too busy working today.

I was too busy counting change to get onto the under constant terror alert subway today,

With its cops with machine guns standing in front of NYPD recruitment ads

the ones with the White cop hugging a Latina viejita?

I had to get to my job

as a 12 dollar an hour corporate whore for hire

Watching billions of bloody dollars

Being robbed from the third world and the third world within.


Finally when the day comes to a close

And I return

Defeated by another day

I can drown my sorrows in the made for t.v. scripted news

Falling asleep to the drone of lies we’ve gotten too used to.


In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue

And got lost

But not lost enough.

- Mamita Mala

H/T to Professor Zero who linked to this author in his excellent post today.

I LOVE this ad!

The California General Election guides are in the mail, folks.

H/T Quaker Agitator.

This is My Country Too

Remember Germany? Don't think anything like that can happen here? Go read Kara's post about what is now LEGAL in the good ol' USA. Not feeling sick to your stomach yet? There's a video here, and another post here that should send shivers up your spine.

My Definition of a Crisis

Sadly, once again the biggest challenge comes from Africa – from Darfur, where the continued spectacle of men, women and children driven from their homes by murder, rape and the burning of their villages makes a mockery of our claim, as an international community, to shield people from the worst abuses.

- Secretary Kofi Annan, in a speech last month

Inspired to do something?

Go here, here, here, here, and here.

War Pear

I had a pear today. I have never tasted better. The way I felt about it made me forget all the other pears I've ever had in my life.

It was lightly dimpled and golden yellow.
In the presence of the pear I was unsure whether I was
the Lover
or the Beloved.

I was unsure whether I held the pear in my hands
or the pear was holding me.

It had freckled skin and a supple body. It had some junk in its trunk. That is not an exaggeration. Most pears in Alaska don't do that.

"Sweet nectar of Pyrus, mother of perry, easily bruised filler of a luscious cup," I thought, "it takes twenty-eight pounds of you to make a bottle of brandy, but I only want you, you alone, matured, seasoned by a summer sun, you, oh delicately ripe one. I give you my lips, my tongue; I give you my taste buds one after another and then all at once; be with them, party with them, love them like they should be loved."

I was in love with my pear. And my pear loved me right back.

After the pear and I ended our dance, our relationship, our trip through the light fantastic, after we had shed our tears and went our way, only our love remained and I returned again to the world you and I live in, love in, make war in. I descended from my bliss.

At that moment I realized that almost everyone in the world must love a good pear, even our so-called enemies.

I know, I know, there are many among us who believe that Muslims are different from us and don't like pears and it is said that Islamic Extremists surely hate them.

But I think the truth probably is that even somebody willing to die for a cause and kill others for a cause, probably still enjoys a good pear in the sun, probably licks the juice off her fingers and sinks into the moment, the moment of the pear.

We hear a lot of talk about these people we fight. We hear how they are different from us: they don't value life, they kill without sympathy, they explode the citizenry, and they don't like pears.

But the truth is, the same charges can be leveled against us. We have treated people pretty inhumanely. We don't even keep track of the civilian death count. We have our sympathies but we act without empathy.

I bet someone in Iraq right now, someone in the Middle East, thinks that we are the sort of bastards that can't enjoy a good pear, wouldn't ever enjoy a good pear, and don't even have the capacity to know what a good pear is.

But we do.

And so do they.

This is the blessing of the pear I ate today, that sweet lovely pear. It brought me back to the deliciousness of life, this same deliciousness of life we all hold on our tongues for as long as we can. It reminded me how there should be more of it; sweet pears for everyone.

I now bestow a sweet imaginary pear on the following:

First of all to you My Friend, for being here and reading this: the pear I ate today.

To George W. Bush. Mr. Bush, a fine pear for you, for the pleasure of your senses.

To the enemy abroad; a pear to ease the course of your anger.

To the Constitution Breakers; a slice of what remains of an original pear.

To all the kids of Alaska, Iraq, Afghanistan, Beirut and Israel; as many sweet pears as you can eat.

To the Army Interrogators, the water boarders, the torturers: you all get pears no questions asked. They are for your numb hearts.

And finally to my pear, my sweet dream of a pear of today. I give you myself in my entirety. I give you my violent heart, my good heart, my heart of all the hearts of all the people of the world.

You were delicious.

(Poem by Andrew, my eldest first cousin and peace activist.)

Happy Monday

The Holidays Are Coming

An estimated 48,000 Iraqi civilians and 20,000 Americans have been wounded in the fighting.

Pray for peace on Earth.

Homophobes and Other Confusions, Part II

While on my way home from work today, I nearly drove off the road when I heard Paul Weyrich, CEO of the ridiculously conservative Free Congress Foundation, tell the host of All Things Considered that "It has been known for many years that Congressman Foley was a homosexual. Homosexuals tend to be preoccupied with sex." He said that this is a fact, confirmed by many psychologists and psychiatrists who "have to deal with them."

Them. He said them.

I'd never heard of the Free Congress Foundation, so I went right to their website where I found an article, written last November, entitled "Liberals Have to Practice What They Preach." Oh, the irony of it all.

This country has many "traditional" societal values that dominate Western culture. These values, like the Protestant Work Ethic which equates work and wealth with morality, are very important to the dominant power structure because they ensure the preservation of the social heirarchy. When the majority population attempts to draw clear distinctions between itself and another group that is "different," say, for example like stigmatizing gays and lesbians as over-sexed, this reinforces another "traditional" American value: that of Puritan Morality. Puritan Morality is a requirement for honesty and abstinence from vice...you know, like personal or bodily indulgences.

The divide and conquer strategy does just that. It divides us.

Vilifying homosexuals as child-molesting perverts who are obsessed with sex is a disgusting attempt to justify the entrenched heterosexism that denies millions of honest, decent people the rights and privileges the rest of America tends to take for granted.

Homophobes and Other Confusions

Shakespeare's Sister had a very good post on the Tom Foley email debacle yesterday that contained a link to an ABC site on the story.

As I was reading some of the reader comments, a few caught my attention:

Well, guess it's not just a smear tactic afterall... Hmm, politician is a closet homosexual. Color me surprised.
Comming soon to the Onion: Gay man tearfully admits to being US Congressman.
Posted by: IMU Sep 29, 2006 3:18:09 PM

One less upstanding pro-family Republican Senator "Value Voters" can cast their vote for.Bet he was also against same-sex marriage. The closet can be a terrible place.
Posted by: John McLaren Sep 29, 2006 3:27:33 PM

Another closeted gay Republican revealed. One who by the way opposed gay rights. Another portrait in hypocracy.
Posted by: Left of Center Sep 29, 2006 4:00:45 PM

Frankly, I am baffled by the amount of well-intentioned folks who still equate homosexuality with pedophilia. Sexual orientation has absolutely nothing to do with having a sexual proclivity toward children.

Pedophilia is legally defined as "an obsession with children as sex objects."

In fact, the overwhelming majority of child sex offenders are heterosexual men who have abused female victims.

Linking homosexuality with pedophilia only seeks to foster the irrational hysteria associated with same-sex love that still exists in this country.

Idiocy and the Public Good

"Ancient Greeks defined idiots as citizens who are so concerned with their private lives and preferences that they fail to attend to or even comprehend, the common good. Idiots are persons who refuse to simultaneously be both private and public citizens, as democracy requires. They put personal freedom to do as they please way out in front of the common good, thus undermining the community that secures those freedoms. They fail to see that freedom and community are not opposing forces, but deeply interdependent."

~ Walter Parker

THIS BLOG IS A HATE FREE ZONE

This weekend, Love Won Out, a Focus on the Family-sponsored group, held a conference in Indian Wells to encourage parents of gay children, or those who believe their children might be gay, to send their children to “gay conversion therapy" camps and programs. The group claims that theirs is a "dynamic one-day conference on homosexuality that balances truth-in-love with grace and compassion."

What they really mean is that they preach that being gay/lesbian/bi/trans is a sinful disease that thoughtful prayer and guidance can cure. To prove their point, in addition to the "experts" (including Anne Heche's mother) they have reformed homosexuals give their holy testimony of their conversion from the gay lifestyle to God's path. You know, I'm ex-gay and you can be too. One of the speakers, get this, wrote a book entitled A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality.

The straight and gay residents of the Coachella Valley, of which I am one, are collectively offended and outraged by this message. This community thrives because of the richness of diversity of its residents. It is the obligation of those of us in faith-based fellowships to do more to combat the hate, blame, and intolerance of the antiquated, neoconservative rhetoric of groups like Focus on the Family. We need to do more, especially to provide unconditional support for our gay youth, who have to face this kind of crap every day, on top of body image and peer pressure and everything else that makes it hard enough to be a teenager.

We need our neighbors to know, our coworkers to know, our local city leaders to know, and everyone else that comes here to enjoy all that the valley has to offer to know that here, this shit won't fly.

Being gay and being spiritual are not mutually exclusive concepts.

UPDATE: For excellent coverage on this very important issue, please visit Ex-Gay Watch.

For Sappho.

For another great immigration cartoon, go here.

Imagine

Happy Brother Birthday

My best friend, my hero, my ever-present-help,

and most importantly, the world's greatest camping companion.

The little guy is 28 today.

117 Years Ago Today

Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, who linked art and labor causes, opened Hull House to help immigrants in Chicago. Hull House was located in the heart of a poor immigrant Chicago neighborhood. At that time, immigrants represented three-quarters of the city's one million inhabitants. Addams and Starr sublet the second floor and set out to find other women with interests similar to their own who would offer instruction and work with the Chicago urban poor.
Very soon, Hull-House had become a complex of thirteen buildings including an art gallery, gymnasium, theater, dining hall, dispensary, playground, and apartments for staff. It provided art, music, sewing and cooking classes, job training, kindergarten and day-care facilities for children of working mothers, an employment bureau, a cooperative boardinghouse for working girls, summer camps, and meeting places for local groups and trade unions. Each week, approximately two thousand people entered the doors of Hull-House.

Hull-House, through its residents and volunteers, followed two main lines of activities. First, it delivered a variety of programs to help individuals improve their quality of life, with a focus on educational programs for the immigrant population. Second, anticipating what later would be known as 'participatory action research', it worked with neighbors to collectively investigate common problems and find common solutions. Led by Jane Addams, the residents of Hull-House were at the forefront of the struggle for parks, playgrounds, housing, health care, safe streets, women's rights, compulsory education, labor standards and fair wages. Hull-House also had a labor museum, in which immigrants from different parts of the world could share different methods of production and preserve their heritage. The celebration of the diversity of immigrant cultures was complemented with dancing, music and drama courses, recitals, and presentations.

A large part of the success of Hull-House was due to Addams' ability to obtain the help of outstanding personalities of that time, like John Dewey and William James. Dewey occasionally lived and worked at Hull-House, and remarked that Addams was a personification of his educational idea that people learn by doing. Later, upon Jane's death in 1935, Dewey would dedicate to her one of his most important books, "Liberalism and Social Action." William James admired her work and told her that "you utter the truth we others vainly seek". Like Dewey and James, she was concerned about education and democracy, and devoted great energy to public speaking and writing. Like them and many others, she was an advocate of child-centered education and of social reforms leading to the construction of a more egalitarian and humanitarian society. In the words of Alexander Rippa,

"Basic to the philosophy of education that Addams developed during the forty-four years she lived at Hull-House was a vision of society in which all people, regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status, would have a chance to develop individual talents and interests. She believed that personally enriching experiences for the immigrants were vital in a society based on democracy as a way of life. At the settlement house, she tried to solve the daily problems of new citizens. The result was a humane institution in which the immigrants were able to grow and eventually contribute to community affairs." (1997: 141-2)

In 1931, Jane Addams became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

(Biographical information obtained from here.)

Just Askin'

"And the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam worth?

And the answer is not very damned many. So I think we got it right, both when we decided to expel him from Kuwait, but also when the president [Bush Sr.] made the decision that we'd achieved our objectives and we were not going to go get bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq."

~ Dick Cheney, Former Secretary of Defense of the United States, 1992

American casualties in Iraq to date: 2683

Americans wounded in Iraq to date: 19945

Un Grito!

Happy Mexican Independence Day!

Laws? What laws?

When you're the Decider-in-chief and what you're doing is in clear violation of the law and becomes increasingly unpopular, all you have to do is change the law.

The Bush Administration is apparently intent on redefining Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions so as to downgrade the Conventions' standards for humane treatment. Oh, and he also wants to make sure that any sort of "torture-like" behavior committed in the PAST is excempt from prosecution. Among many others, 29 retired Admirals, Generals, Military Leaders and former DOD officials have already urged Congress to preserve the Geneva Conventions as they are written. (Skip on over to A Poetic Justice to read the Conventions yourself. They aren't vague like His Majesty says they are.) Those who oppose this action by Bu$hCo believe strongly that it would undermine the moral basis which has generally guided our conduct in war throughout our history and that it could give opponents a legal argument for the mistreatment of Americans being held prisoner in times of war. Read the full-text document here.

The time has come for there to exist a collective outrage over the use of all forms of torture by this government. Amnesty International, Human Rights First, and the ACLU all have action links so that your name can be added to those who are fed up with this government's "war on terror." They are doing this in our name, and we ought feel much shame.

Thank You Mr. Bush

Vanessa German, National Slam Bush Champion, wrote this absolutely amazing, angry, filled-with-promise protest poem. Hear it in her own voice.

H/T to A Poetic Justice.

Thank you George Muthaf@%#king Bush
By Vanessa German

thank u
for makin it easier for me
to get a tech9 or AR14
than a pap smear & a good education

thank u
from the first boy i kissed
who u sent off to fight your war in iraq
he returned home only by telegram
& in a box

thank u
from me
from my body
from the woman i love
that i want to marry & call my wife
without u bible thumpin daggers
& demanding constitutional amendments
to prevent us from loving this revolutionary love
(az tho we cud soil the sanctitiy of marriage)
u cud nevah touch my love or fuck with my love
its just the right u seek to deny us
so we must fight for it in the end it's all a matter of
voiceof excercising choice & flexing the muscle of democracy
which shudn't be pigeon holed marginalized
or constitutionaly compromised
under the pretense that who i love
kiss fuck hold hands & make family with
iz destructive to the fiber
that quilts the fabric of america
which ironically happens to be
cotton
that notoriously bloody lily white thread
that my grandfather & hiz fathers fathers before picked by hand in mer rouge louisiana

i hav not forgotton that i am america
that my blood iz in these rivers
& at the roots of these redwood trees
i know that this country was built on the backs of blacks
that were shackled strapped & stacked
slashed gashed taxed & then cashed in on
like cattle
i hav not forgotton that i am america
& even tho u want me to be quiet & invisible
i will not
i hav decided that if u r not with US
then u r against US
US
the 99% of the population that makes less
than 1.2 million dollars a year
the 43 million people that hav no health care
the 14 million children that got left behind
that go to bed hungry every night

if u r not with US then
u r against US
& we understandthat terror iz not always guns & knives
& otherwise explosive devices of evil
sometimes terror iz just making no living wage
going day to day pay check to pay check
praying that no one gets sick

terror iz not knowing which of ur sons
will fit the description & die while reaching back pocket
for identification to prove he iz american
but not american enuf to live free

terror iz being 13
having no access
no choice & taking matters
into ur own hands

terror iz being a woman
begging for emergency contraception
when u've been raped taken by force & foresaken
just like the constitution
after the presidential election of 2000
which u did not win
u stole like a purse
off the shoulder of an old lady
making america ur bitch

didn't anyone ever tell u
when u take shit that's not urs u give it back
& apologize
but no.

we realize that u mr bush
r just the figure head the smoke screen
the sony nike gmc tommyhilfigerbluejeansbrand name
of a regime of evil so vicious & arrogant
u hav the audacity to murder in my name
& call it justice call it liberation long time come
when all it really iz
iz economic imperialism
or occupation
which iz the same thing hitler did
in poland austria & hungry ...if u really wanted to liberate
u cud hav liberated
delbert orr africa
janine holloway africa
micheal sims africa
or
mumia abul jamal

it wasn't 6 weeks
it waz 17
thousand lives
not just american lives
but human lives
how sacred are they
tell me answer me
tell me how sacred are they
stop trying to convince us that justice
iz always this bloody
that liberation costs babies
& mothers & homes & sons
& lovers & fathers & dignity& truth & purity & hope & democracy

thank u mr bush
for showing us
that we must fight everyday for our freedomas tho we r fighting for our lives
obviously u r not going to beat a path
of justice to our frontdoors
this is my requiem
for the last four years
my premptive strike
on the next four years
this iz my love poem
to america even tho
he took u by force violated u
forsook u before they eye of god
made u barely recognizable to the rest of us

i still love u baby
he can not shame u before my eyes
u r beautiful
i will fight & die for u r the people
& i am u

this iz my love poem to america

Happy Grandparents Day...

...to all the grandparents out there, but especially to these two,

my maternal parents grand, pictured several years ago

in front of the family station wagon.

Hahahahahahahaha

Oops.

Actually, there are numerous parallels between the Iraqi war and the US Civil War, which we all know, in hindsight, was a battle waged for good reason. Thus, one day we will see, in hindsight, that our military campaign in Iraq has been a battle waged for good reason.

How do I know?

Condi says so. And she should know. She's Black.

Pull Harder

The Economic Policy Institute released its report on the State of Working America last week. Among the findings:

• The correlation between the income of parents and their children is so high that it would take a poor family of four with two children nine to 10 generations - over 200 years - to reach middle-income status.

Thus, as the report states, "for most people in America today, where you end up is increasingly a function of where you started out."

Ah, shucks. If Phil Knight can do it, so can you.

Welfare Recipient of the Day

OIL COMPANIES

The Kansas City Star did a story on this while I was visiting my grandma, and I was amazed.

Apparently, when gasoline gets hot, it expands. But U.S. fuel pumps don’t adjust for the bigger volume, and it’s costing American consumers about $2.3 billion a year.

"It works this way.

As a liquid, gasoline expands and contracts depending on temperature. At the 60-degree standard, the 231-cubic-inch American gallon puts out a certain amount of energy. But that same amount of gas expands to more than 235 cubic inches at 90 degrees, even though consumers still only get 231 cubic inches at the pump.

Put simply, every degree over the 60-degree standard diminishes the energy a 231-cubic-inch gallon delivers to the nation’s fleet of cars, trucks, boats, buses and heavy equipment — and forces drivers to consume more and pay more for fuel.

It is basic physics that, depending on the temperature, can amount to just a few cents per gallon. But it adds up to big money — coming straight out of consumers’ pockets and going right to the bottom line of major oil companies and other fuel retailers in the energy pipeline.

Moreover, it’s perfectly legal, because even though your local filling station measures out your gas as if it were stored at 60 degrees, no law requires retailers to adjust the pump to reflect the expansion of hot fuel.

In other words, no law ensures you get what you pay for."

Of course, someone has invented a temperature-sensitive smart pump, one that can probe the temperature of the gasoline and then calculate the volume of the gallon when adjusted for temperature, but you won't see Exxon installing them any time soon.

Wanna know how your state fares? Go here.

Go here to read more.

I Heart Mark Fiore

Even though I've never met him and know nothing about him except that he creates the most amazing, animated political cartoons I've ever seen. See his stuff here, and have your name added to an email list that goes out every time a new cartoon is created.

His latest, "Remember Again," is a scalding, must-see commentary on the Iraq-9/11 connection.

P.S. There isn't one. Even Congress has admitted it...There is no evidence that Saddam Hussein had any relationship with the late terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or with al-Qaida, the Senate Intelligence Committee says in a new report. Read the rest. Of course, Tony Snow is calling this "old news" while Republicans are refusing to declassify the second part of the probe for truth from our government.

Labor Leader of Note

"Mother" Mary Harris Jones (1843-1930) was a socialist labor agitator devoted to class struggle. She is best known for organizing mine workers from the eastern coalfields to the rockies. Supporting not only the struggle of the miners, Mother Jones also organized their wives. Because mining towns were often secluded and their businesses owned by the mining companies, the strikes involved and affected the women as much as the men. Action taken by these women was often influential in the outcomes of the strikes. Mother Jones also worked in factories, organizing against the atrocities of child labor. She was a fierce agitator and charasmatic speaker, and was jailed many times. Still, her words and actions continued to inspire some of the most militant revolts in labor history. She is a symbol of working class protest and a true proletarian heroine.

At 87, she is credited to have raised a broomstick into the air and yelled, "Let's go get those sons of bitches" before charging into a coal mine where scabs were being used by management to break a long union strike.

Read more about this labor hero here, here, and here.

See. This. Film.

Who's getting killed. Who's making a killing.

My partner and I drove to Santa Monica last night to see the world premiere. If there's a house party/screening near you, RSVP to attend. If it's too far to drive, hold your own.

www.iraqforsale.org

Our Labor Creates All Wealth

Happy Labor Day, everybody.

There's a good article on the origins of the holiday here.

(It had nothing to do with picnics.)

Friday (my) Pet Blogging

From August 23, 2006

Things I’ve learned about Texas in my sixty minutes at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport:

• No vegetarians live here. I just purchased a foot-long veggie Subway sandwich, complete with real cheddar cheese, for $3.29. In an airport.
• There is a contingent of middle-aged businessmen who will still pay someone else to shine their shoes. I sincerely believed that this was an antiquated service, but it is alive and thriving in Terminal A. I even passed one station where there was a line. People were actually waiting to get their shoes shined by someone else. If I hadn’t observed this phenomena with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it to be true.
• The locals are very proud of their football team. It’s not even football season yet (is it?), but the Cowboy fans are already donning the appropriate, official NFL jerseys. I don’t want to exaggerate, so I won’t. Just let me say that of the last 88 people who walked by, 29 were wearing some sort of Cowboy apparel: shirts, hats, shorts, or footwear (!!).

A Midwestern Paradox

But some counties have made it illegal to own certain dog breeds.

Off to See...

...my 89 year-old, house-bound grandmother in rural Kansas. For one week. I've visited before, and the fact that there are no visible mountains and the rivers run brown is enough to make sure that I won't research vacation properties while I'm there.

I pray for the brains to navigate the cheap itinerary I've made myself, one whose airport connections and Google map directions would baffle a Ph.D candidate.

I pray for the courage to face the racist, Republican onslaught, especially if I accidently drive by anyone from the Westboro Baptist Church.

I also pray for the heart to love my grandmother in all ways, through my thoughts and actions, even if this means that I have to give myself canker sores by continuously biting my tongue for the next seven days.

There's no internet connection where I'm going, so I'll see you all when I come home again.

An Association

Sappho's post on Minuteman Salsa reminded me of a tee-shirt I admired at our local, annual Salsa Festival:

I'm back...

...from my two weeks too short vacation in Maui. I

swam with schools of fish and a family of sea turtles,

hiked to the top of waterfalls and dove off the cliffs,

waded in saltwater pools on cooled lava beds,

and inhaled the beautiful, lush vistas on the road to Hana.

I ate fresh ono, mahi mahi, and ahi, as much and as often

as I could. And because I didn't turn on the TV once while

we were there, for my vacation I pretended that

the world was perfect.