During the last Ice Age two glaciers came together in what is now southern Wisconsin. The result can be seen today in the uplifted topography known as Kettle Moraine. Much to our delight, the area contains some of the finest mountain bike trails in the Midwest.
Yesterday, I helped my buddy, Weez, take his One Love Music radio program worldwide, with a technical assist from Live 365. For over a decade Weez has been on the air in Vail and Aspen, building a solid following for Reggae in those communities. Now the irie vibrations can be felt well downstream (with a high-speed Internet connection).
Click the Lion for fresh beats
My Bay Area musician buddy, Mighty Dave, has a new disc out. Dave says, Short Goodbyes has a big, beautiful sound and features some of the finest musicians goin’. Including: Dale Fanning and Arne Livingston (Living Daylights), Jon Evans (Tori Amos, Paula Cole), Eric Mcfadden (Stockholm Syndrome, EMT), Reggie Watts (Maktub), Mic Gillette and Johnnie Bamont (Tower Of Power), Karl Perazzo (Santana), Jennifer Newell (Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey) and Eenor (Les Claypool), Geoff Pearlman, Zoe Ellis, Scott Law, Matt Baxter, Chris Haugen, Patrick Kaliski, Bruce Hamm and more.
“We need a fascist government in this country…to save the nation from the communists who want to tear it down and wreck all that we have built in America. The only men who have the patriotism to do it are the soldiers, and Smedley Butler is the ideal leader. He could organize a million men overnight.” -bond trader, Gerald MacGuire speaking to a reporter in 1933
There’s another hot political film showing in select theatres right now. The Corporation righteously lays bare the practices and the aims of multi-national corporations. Like Fahrenheit 9/11 there are gems of information sprinkled throughout this film. One iota that really grabbed my attention was the mention of a plot by various Wall Street tygoons to overthrow the government early in FDR’s first term.
What prevented this hostile takeover? Wall Street picked the wrong general. After 33 years in the Marine Corps, Smedley Butler had seen enough. Butler said, “I spent most of my time being a high class muscle-man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.” Butler told Congress of the plans underway, yet they never publicized the nefarious affair, nor did they punish (or even question) the conspirators.
Major General Smedley Butler
U.S. Representative Corrine Brown of Jacksonville, Florida speaking yesterday to Indiana Republican, Steve Buyer, on the floor of the House:
“I come from Florida, where you and others participated in what I call the United States coup d’etat. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Over and over again after the election when you stole the election, you came back here and said, ‘Get over it.’ No, we’re not going to get over it. And we want verification from the world.”
Buyer, and the Republican-dominated House, successfully blocked Brown’s request that the United Nations (or another independent body) monitor the Presidential election this fall. Then Buyer asked that Brown’s words be struck from the Congressional Record. That request was also granted.
Brown fighting the good fight
Some dude with my name has a special rub, for use on any meat, game or fish.
“What we intend to accomplish is to make sure that history records that we did not go silently, and I perceive that silence is consent.” -U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings
For me, the most compelling and dramatic part of Michael Moore’s sensational political film, Fahrenheit 9/11 (it’s also been called an informercial and several worse names), is when we see the members of the Congressional Black Caucus fighting to be heard on the floor of the U.S. Senate during the Florida recount hullaballoo. This pitiful scene was news to me, although here’s a CNN transcript of Florida Congressman, Alcee Hastings from January 6, 2001, describing the technical manuevers we now have on film. So, there was some coverage at the time, albeit limited.
from the L.A. premiere
Dennis Kucinich speaking to Amy Goodman this morning:
“Amy, I had to make a decision, whether I want to, you know, stay a Democrat and continue to work within the Party or go in a different direction. And I still maintain that there’s plenty of opportunities to try to shift the Democratic Party in a more constructive direction and I’m going to continue my efforts to do that.”
Read the full transcript here.
On Sunday, our U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel introduced a cajun act at the seventh annual Folk & Roots Festival in Welles Park. He later strolled by the blanket with his young daughter in tow. A few weeks back, as we we’re walking home from the square, a lanky man came jogging toward us. As he got nearer we could see it was our friendly Governor Rod Blagojevich dressend in an all black exercise outfit. I said, “Governor,” as if I had a top hat to tip. He replied in kind, thinking we might be two of his supporters. Supporters, or no, it’s nice to see these two out among the people, enjoying the neighborhood.
Emanuel (speaking) and Blagojevich (on right)
In the this is funny but not a joke category, we have one Vermin Love Supreme for President, running on the Misinformed Citizens of America ticket. At last, a choice we can feel good about come November.
In the this should be funny but it’s not category, we have Mike Ditka considering a Senate race in Illinois.