People have been complaining about corporate media consolodation for years...hell, Ralph Nader's been doing it for decades. But something happened today that made me sigh. But before I get to that, let me just give you another example of how our media sucks ass. Yeah, the Times is going to start charging people to read it's op-eds. Because the ad revenue they get from the ads plastered all over it's site isn't enough. Paying to read corporate newspapers' op-eds is like paying to get sodomized in prison. OK, that may be stretching it...some people do pay to get sodomized.

In Rochester, we have one weekly alternative newspaper. It used to be pretty good. Note, used to be. We used to have 2 corporate papers, one's gone so we're stuck with one. It blows. In the past year or so, an independent, bilingual monthly newspaper appeared on the scene. Now, our corporate rag just bought it. I guess it's cool that the owners made some scratch off it, but it's just another independent voice biting the dust. To be honest, I didn't even like the writing or story coverage in the darn thing, but it was homegrown.

And I read them all. Why? Because to be an activist, I need to know what other people know. It helps me understand why people act, not act, vote, not vote, etc, the way they do. Even though with every word I read from them my brain gets smoother and smoother.

Blogs are supposed to be the shit now...but many of them are just as biased and slanted as corporate media...they're just slanted because the writers are fanatical, not capitalistic pig-dogs. And most of them just report stuff from places you or I don't have time to read...who the hell is going to subscribe and scour Roll Call?

The tens of you who come here probably don't go to Common Dreams or Democracy Now...so you're REALLY not going to go to some of the other off the beaten path site. That's what blogs are good for. There's not really many people posting on truly independent sites.

IndyMedia
Greg Palast
Some more at the bottom of the blog.

The thing about corporate media is the thing about corporations in general. Their profit is never enough. Companies freak and go on firing sprees (usually the laborers) when profits stay stable. I didn't say they lose money, when the profits don't increase from the year before. It's common sense that a company can't make more than the last year every year.

When I first got cable internet I would listen to baseball games from all around the country for free...I would have to hear their ads, but whatever...it was awesome being able to listen to Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, et al. All of a sudden, MLB decided to make people pay for it. OK, I don't listen to baseball on the internet any more. But enough people just accepted it.

To me, it comes down to one thing...we're sheep. We have to have cable TV, sports, the latest electronics, etc. We don't interact any more, we work to have stuff. I do it to a degree. I'm less conerned with stuff, but I pretty much have no social life...I don't know what to do with free time. Even when I'm exhaused...well, I'm always exhausted...but I can't even sleep well anymore. We give in to advertising and the peer pressure of the masses...sure, it keeps manufacturing jobs in China & Mexico going, but at what cost to all of us?

I'm not saying it's all "you people". I'm guilty of this as well, but in a different way. I'm missing a ton of things I shouldn't be. My Niece & Nephew are growing up and I'm missing it. I don't see my family at all (even the ones I like). I'm always going to this meeting, that campaign event, etc. A guy told me that I'm not a true Green because I own a car...well, I own a car so I can go to 4 campaign events a day to get someone elected so they can help others, get environment laws passed, stop the man, etc. If I didn't screw up the environment by driving around so much, I wouldn't be able to get so much done to try to save the environment. [yes, I see the irony]

When I'm older, crapping my pants and calling everyone Joel, in my lucid moments I'm going to realize that I did all that work and the world will still be fucked up...and I never got married, never had kids and missed a lot of events in others' lives that I shouldn't have.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have 3 campaign mailings, a fundraising letter and a jobs incentive platform to work on. Oh yeah, and maybe I'll pick up my guitar tonight.

Before I get to my story I have a quick thought. In the last 8 hours I've seen/heard 2 references to the Aristophanes drama Lysistrata. For those who don't know the plot of this...the women folk want the men folk to stop a war, so they withhold sex until the men stop.

I'm down with the concept, but while the rest of you guys would be freakin out, I'd be taking over the world. Sheeeee-it, I've been in training for this since the Eisenhower Administration. OK, I wasn't born during the Eisenhower Administration, but you get the point. Bring it on, Chicas!

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I think I blogged on Medea Benjamin last year...before the great blog purge. I first heard of her from various Green Party circles, then I started reading some of her articles on Common Dreams. She's run for US Senate, Co-Founded Code Pink and Global Exchange. But the biggie for me was her foray into the Republican National Convention last year. She got on the convention floor, reaked a little havoc and it was taped and played on Democracy Now. When I heard that piece I knew - Medea Rocks!



So Code Pink has just started a chapter here in Rochester and they got Medea to come to town last Monday to speak in a few places. So a bunch of us Greens went to see her. She was pretty cool. We were supposed to go out for a drink after, but she was beat and had to work on an op-ed for the Washington Times...but as we were talking she mentioned that she had to go to Binghamton the next day (about 3 hours away). She was going to rent a car.

"I have the day off tomorrow. I can drive you."

Who said that? Shit, that was me. I mean, what the hell am I going talk to Medea Benjamin about alone in a car for three hours. Well, too late now. So we drove to Binghamton the next day. The details of the conversation isn't important. As we talked, she coordinated stuff for the upcoming war protest in Washington, went over some of her hate mail, stuff like that. I got to ask her what she thought of the NY State Greens, and other Green...um...iconoclasts. We seem to draw the same conclusions about a lot of these folks and I just read about them..she actually works with them.

I got to feeling like a serious light-weight. I mean, I know all the stuff she's done, but when she would ask me about stuff in other parts of the state I would have no clue or my explanations of the problems the Green Party is having in Rochester...she didn't have an attitude about it, but it was obvious that if it was her she would have done something that probably would have gotten her arrested. (she's been arrested a few dozen times, probably) It was more of my insecurity and frustration than Medea's attitude. It's funny...dumbasses & slimeballs I meet...I don't care what they think of me. I'll say whatever at meetings, hearings, etc...but she's the real deal...someone who walks the walk. With cojones bigger than I'll ever have.

The hardest time I had with her was getting the point across of just how big of a stick Rochester has up it's collective ass...so it seemed like all I did was bitch about Rochester the whole time...defensive mechanism. But she didn't seem to be too put off by it.

My intention was to get to Binghamton, slow the car down so that Medea could do a tuck & roll and head back to Stickville. But Medea says, "You're coming to the trial right?" She was going to Binghamton to lend support to the St. Patricks Four. If you haven't heard about them, go to the website...it's messed up.

So the next thing I know, I'm sitting in a packed federal court room watching the (odd) opening statements of the defendants. I actually met one of them during a break. I admire what they did, even if I can't connect with the religious aspect of it.

I pretty much followed Medea around like a little errand boy, which was actually fine with me...I'm in touch with my submissive side. If I could be menacing, I would've tried to pull off the bodyguard look, but it just wasn't going to happen. Eventually we had lunch and I had to get out of there...I kept teasing her about all these people who would come up and hug her as if they were long, lost friends. She didn't do the "Hey........you." thing, but it was pretty obvious to me that she didn't know who the hell most of these people were...or at least couldn't remember where she knew them from. It's not really Medea's fault...you should have seen the number of people who approached us...it was mind-boggling. So when I was going to leave, she told me that when we met again, she would actually remember me.

Yeah...that's what they all say. I haven't heard from Stanley Aronowitz in years.

The whole hurrican recovery effort is wacked. While the poor folks down there try to survive on a day to day basis, scumbag cronies of the War Criminal are swooping in to make sure the displaced never come back. And to do it, they have hired the same people who are running the prisons in Iraq and torturing people all over the world. Freakin pathetic. So...

Dear George Soros,

We haven't heard from you in a while. Not since the election was over. Here's the deal, Sparky. Check out the links above. Things in Louisiana are messed up, big time. Rather than try to buy an election for the left, you can do something even better. Buy New Orleans...or at least as much of it as you can. Get your other rich lefties to do the same. When you've bought as much as you can, you can help rebuild it using green technology & design...for the poor. You've got the money...shit, you just got huge tax breaks from the War Criminal...put it to good use! Get movin', Dude. There's work to do.

Whitee

I haven't been able to post in a while. A whole lot going on. Some of it actually good. I'm going to do a hodge-podge collection of thoughts then I'll have a really long post on a semi-adventure I had the other day.

In music news...I got a new guitar. I've been threating to for a while, finally made it happen. It's an electic/accoustic so I'll be able to work on demos in the living room- hooked up to the computer, which will help me get ready to record sooner...OK, sooner's a relative term. But who knows...it could happen in our lifetime. I'd like to think this isn't going to be my last guitar - I want to get one of those ones that plays "like butter". This one's definitely better than my cheap Epiphone, but it's not where I want to end up. Anyway, I haven't had a ton of time to play in the past week, but it's been cool so far.

Things have been hoppin...I've been working on the political stuff...things are going well, but busy. I'm hoping that by November, I'll have some good news on that front. Things look good.

The group Code Pink has just started a chapter here in Rochester. While I probably won't be a "member" due to my member, I will be a supporter. They're cool. And they'll be involved in my adventure story coming up.

Just read a good article from George Monbiot about Global Warming. It seems that a number of corporations have been willing to go green, but they're insisting that the government mandate all the corporations to do it - that way the ones who want to take the initiative won't be burdened with the costs while their non-green competitors jump ahead by staying with dirty, still-cheap technology. Makes sense, until you use the word "government". Idiots are saying that it's too much government interference into the market. Dumbass, there isn't going to BE a market if you don't get involved.

I guess this means New Orleans is starting to get back on its feet. I guess it's a good thing.

I added it to my list of sites/blogs for you to check out (on the left column), but I wanted a special mention here. A former reporter for what USED to be Rochester's Alternative newspaper has started his own blog. Check out The Rochester Dissident from Jack Bradigan Spula. Good guy, good writer.

What the hell is this all about? You have read all of this. There are actually Israeli paramilitary MFers in New Orleans guarding some rich guy's stuff and they're saying...well, you have to read this for yourself. Yep...I dare you to be proud of this country.

This article is a great review of how great we are.

Democrats continue to be lost.

And, neither do the Republicans.

We're such good global citizens. I'll be meeting Medea this Monday.

Yep. I hate America. I'll just come right out and say it. I'm embarrassed and disgusted. I've already explained my attitude using the analogy of a parent & an obnoxious child. You may love your child, but it's because of that you have to discipline it. This country needs a good spanking...and not in a hot, sexy way, either.

Man, I hope this is bottom. John Roberts is going to be the next Chief Justice and he's another evil one...he will not answer questions even though all of his prior work points to him being another facist like Rehnquist. The Republicans on the Senate committee...we'll let's just say, I'm surprised they could answer any questions with their lips so firmly planted on Robert's ass.

I give credit where credit is due...and I will say that my boy, War Monger Chuck Schumer was OK in the hearings...but he still needed a little Chap Stick when it was all over.

They killed this woman in Texas...executed her - after more evidence was found that showed that she was probably innocent and had such a sorry lawyer that he didn't interview one witness before the chick's trial. The Supreme Court wouldn't step in. They killed an innocent woman.

I'm only going to say one thing about this hurricane mess. That tool of a War Criminal president started talking about it the way he talked about Iraq...that "we'll (the military) will stay until the job is done." Great...war on New Orleans. Then, the dumbass said that only the military can handle stuff like this...that's his answer for everything now...the military. Maybe the military can handle poverty in the cities, or domestic violence.

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I can't decide if I'm smart or an f-ing wimp. A couple of weeks ago, I talked about getting bombarded with these messages about having no regrets when you die - that you should live today as if it's your last day, blah, blah, blah. I guess it's a good thing I didn't act on that...I mean, I started thinking about what the consequences would be if I started doing that...not the consequences for me, but for the people around me. It would be pretty selfish of me to mess up their lives because of my impulsiveness. Maybe I could pick & choose which things to do, but I don't think I'm in the best frame of mind to figure out what's a good idea right now. So...I just wimp out. Same as it ever was...

Good Lordy...this Katrina shit...heads need to roll. I'm serious. Let's go in no particular order:

• Rush Limbaugh insists that people need to build their own levies. I couldn't make that up.


• Dick Cheney's Haliburtion received no-bid contracts less than a week after the hurricane, hundreds of Louisiana Haliburtion workers are missing and stock price are rising.


• Michael Brown...say no more.


• Rick Santorum is a tool, has always been a tool and always will be a tool. While looking for that article I found this site. It's freakin hilarious, but not pretty.


• Leaders at Shell, Exxon and the rest. Whenever possible, buy your gas from Citgo.


• I'm sure you've heard about this, but we can't forget Barbara Bush. She needs to go to the hole just for having the War Criminal & Jeb.


• Pat Robertson. I know, duh. But read this whole article. You may need a shower afterwards.

And let's finish up with The War Criminal himself.

• Here the c-sucker allows companies that we know are going to gouge people to fix stuff, pay their workers shit wages.


• I'm sure you've seen what an ass he was in dealing with Katrina...going to fundraisers, holding up relief workers for photo ops, talking about sitting on Trent Lott's porch. Well, here's a timeline of all this that shows what a lying sack of crap he is as he & his minions try to blame the lame response of FEMA on state & local officials.


• Oh yeah, did you know that Cuba and other countries are offering aid, but we're turning it down from countries "we" don't like?

And of course that's just the Katrina stuff.

Lock 'em up! All of 'em!

I'm not even empassioned about this right now. I'm just disgusted. But here's some more evidence that our President should be impeached and jailed:

This is illegal. There are people starving, dying, etc and the War Criminal is doing a photo op with so-called food distribution centers. If you know people are in this mess and you do this...there has to be a law somewhere...criminally neglegent homocide or something.

He knowingly set up this tragedy to happen at the scale it has.

More thoughts with some long-term solutions.

I hope this guy does more than rant. With this much passion he needs to channel it into action.

This is amazing...I'll just list these...do what you want with them:

Vote to Impeach Bush
Impeach Bush
Impeach Bush Now
Impeach Bush2
The Four Reasons

OK...I'm done with that...for now.

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Odd. In the past week or so, I've been bombarded with these messages - some subtle, some upside the head. No, I'm not hearing voices, though that would be a nice change of pace. Katrina hasn't helped. Some articles in different places, radio news stories, stuff like that that has centered around a common theme we see in books, movies and even dumb sitcoms...that you should live every day like it's your last. When you die, you should have no regrets.

It's pretty good in theory. As you get older, you're supposed to be more comfortable, self-assured...you don't give a damn anymore. That's probably why so many old people smell like ass. I see that. I know that some of the things I have done in the past few years - I never would have dreamed of doing in my 20's. Music, politics, wearing the same underwear two days in a row. And I still see room to be even more publicly obnoxious - all for a good cause, of course.

(bordering on webjournal here)

So this theme has been knocking me around for a week or so. It had gotten to the point where I had decided that I was going to do something that would fall under that category...no regrets...tell someone how you feel - so if you get hit by a bus tomorrow, at least you didn't die without that person knowing.

Great. The problem is, I haven't had the opportunity to do this life-affirming feat as the other person hasn't been available. So in the meantime, I forgot about that Crash Davis axiom: Don't think, it'll only hurt the ballclub. Yeah...I think that life-affirming moment isn't gonna be happening.

So kids, the moral to this story is...if you're going to do something out of character...don't think about it...just do it. You'll get over the embarassment. But if you wait and think about it too much, you're toast.

Back to the yard, meat.

Wow. There's a lot of piling on in terms of what's happening down in Louisiana - and it's all justified. I'm glad people are giving to the Red Cross. I will be donating as well as soon as I get a handle on what it is I can afford (a day or two).

I guess I'll start with a couple of links. This is a webjournal/blog from someone who is actually IN the chaos of New Orleans. I don't know how he's doing it, but he is. There's text, pictures & video. Amazing.

A great blog on news coverage and other stuff. You should probably make it at least a weekly stop. Crooks and Liars.

This is an audio clip of the Mayor of New Orleans. It's a bit long and isn't the easiest thing in the world to listen to, but it is important.

The September 10th edition of Democracy Now will give you a really good perspective on where we should be focusing. here is an mp3 of the show. This gives you some of what's happening now, what will be happening and how a lot of this could be prevented. It also gives a very telling illustration of exactly where the War Criminal and his minions are on all this. Which leads me to:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
Declaration of Independence.

It's time. It's time for the War Criminal to go. Now, I'm not calling for violent means. Though I will admit, every time I see stories on Iraq or now Katrina I have to supress the non-civilized part of me. But this guy is a criminal. He's actually a murderer. Even though I don't, let's forget innocent Iraqi's and Afgans who have died to make is already-rich cronies richer and more entrenched in power. And even though I don't, let's forget the Americans of Arab descent who have been imprisoned without being charged or the other innocent Arabs who have been sent to Syria to be tortured.

Our President killed Americans. He cut funding that would have saved thousands of lives lost in New Orleans to divert money, people and other resources to engage in an unprovoked attack on Iraq. This isn't an "oops" kinda thing. The government knew of the problems with the levees in New Orleans. This was a deliberate decision.

In the past I've said that the War Criminal isn't my president. Well, I'm now taking responsibility for the people who allegedly represent me. Via e-mail, I've contacted both of my Senators (who I've criticized in the past) and expressed just what I've said here. It's time for both Clintonbagger and Chuck Warmonger to step up and take care of their obligations as Senators and human beings.

Contact your senators here.

Our President is a psychopath. His response to all of this is not only weak, but contrived. It's time for him -and his buddies -to go.