Stew Albert 1939 - 2006

Berkley 1968 - Portland 2002
Stew Albert a prominent anti-Vietnam war activist, an early supporter of the Black Panthers and a founder of the Yippie radical protest group, died Monday at age 66 in Portland, Oregon.

Initially diagnosed with Hepatitis C, he spent a whole year enduring grueling chemotherapy. He spoke openly about it on his website, documenting each day and each weekly shot. He was finally declared free of the disease only to be diagnosed with liver cancer this past December. The ultimate Fuck You. (My sister passed away this past Thanksgiving also from liver cancer from Hep C.) We spoke thru email about Hep C, how it sucked and how the treatment felt worse than the disease. I was always inspired by his spirit. From 1968 in Chicago throughout his life. People with true 60s ideals are a rare breed. Tom Robbins said, Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business. Stew certainly believed in magic.

On his website...from Judy
"Stew will be buried tomorrow (Wednesday) in Jones Pioneer Cemetery in Portland. He will be wrapped in a tallis (Jewish prayer shaw), holding a stuffed flower from the Haight and wearing his kick-ass Frye boots and our wedding ring."

There are beautiful sentiments expressed on his website, Bay Area Indymedia, Infoshop News, SFGate, and on Counterpunch.


More On Hepatitis C
Allen Ginsberg died from complications of it. Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, & Nash, both had liver transplants and still suffer from it. Ken Kesey, author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, suffered from it and died of liver cancer in 2001. Penny Arcade, the 55-year-old performance artist for the East Village avant-garde art scene since Andy Warhol roamed the city, also suffers from it.

Miles Keaton Andrew, a 52-year-old author who contracted it when he experimented with intravenous drugs as a teenager, has kept a blog, www.mkandrew.com, since 2001 about his experiences battling H.C.V. His blog has received a million hits in the past year. “I understand the whole stigma thing,” he told The Villager. "There are a lot of people like me who might have experimented with drugs. Some of us got sick from it and it isn’t anything to be ashamed about."

Hep C Life After Interferon is another blogger who documents his experience with it.

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The State of the Union Drinking Game

* Every time W says "September 11" or "9-11" take a sip.
* Every time W says "hard work" take a drink.
* Every time he says "evil" take a gulp.
* Every time he says something to make the Republicans clap but not the Democrats, take a swig.
* Every time the President says "pray" drink half your glass.
* Every time the Commander in Chief makes an error of pronunciation or grammar, finish your drink.
* Every time the Leader of the Free World says "Trent Lott's house" drink the whole bottle.

Link

* If he refers to Brownie from FEMA, you score a 'get out of jail free' card.
* If he mentions releasing his Jack Abramoff photos, you win a bottle of your favorite libation.
* If he talks about a complete pullout from Iraq, I'll buy you the whole damn liquor store.

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For a Mother, time is eventful. Even abstract. Like a force of nature.

A beautiful day. Great expectations. On the sands of luxurious Miami Beach behind the Fontainebleau when I was small, I took my father's hand as we walked onto the ocean's foamy edge. The waves slapped the shore in an angry break and the undertow was furious and fast; leaving broken shells and seaweed in it's wake. As another huge wave rushed up, I dug in my heels and braced for the wall of water. Breaking lose from my father, I began bobbing up and down, pulled by some unknown force farther down the shore. Choking as salty water filled my nose and mouth, I tried to get to land before another wave did me in. I was surprised to now see our umbrella and chairs so far down the shore.

So goes time for a Mother. Dig in your heels and brace yourself and Be Here Now. For space and time are too soon far down the shore.

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Burroughs' Birthday Party

Feb. 4-March 5: William S. Burroughs' 92nd birthday will be commemorated at the Beat Hotel's First InterZone Beat Festival with an exhibition of Harold Chapman's photographs of Beat luminaries and performances by singer-songwriter Grant Hart, founder of 1980s post-punk favorite Hüsker Dü.

(via maud newton - via gadling)

Link

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Benicio del Toro as Ché, an epic about Argentine revolutionary Ché Guevara, who fought for the people.

Many More Photos I found from reading the IMDB message boards. Photos are taken around the UN in New York last week. I noticed one of him with a cigar in his hand. Scroll down to see the black and white photo of Che taken in 1964. As one person posted, "Benicio has completly transformed into Che".

Can't wait to see this. But then I'd go see him read the phonebook.

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WEBTRAIL - Top 100, PETA, Ivins, Boomer, Mancuso, Garden of Delights, James Frey

Garden Of Delights is a good vintage vinyl site. One of 7 or 8 good ones I've found lately. Freaky Lady posts mostly rare 60s music. Not as rare in the weird sense as Cake & Polka Parade, which has it's own fun, but informative niche.

‘Love Saves The Day’, an essential new book, which charts the development of New York (and subsequently worldwide) club culture, takes it’s name from a party held on Valentines Day 1970 at the home of David Mancuso, a loft space at 647 Broadway & Bleeker, in NoHo, NYC. (via Autopoiesis & Cognition Conversations)

Please Sign This Petition if you agree that James Frey, Author of "A Million Little Pieces", Random House & Nan Telese,the Publisher of these lies should offer a refund of his book considering the controversy surrounding it.

Were you born between 1946 and 1964? Boomer Baby is asking you to send in your childhood toy memories. I enjoyed the "Easy Bake Oven" because YUM!, those little cakes that you baked by a lightbulb were seriously good eating. I also liked paper dolls. Betsy McCall came in a magazine each month with different outfits to cut out and put on. Try getting a small child today to get interested in paper dolls. Not going to happen. (via mousemusings)

Molly Ivins, 61, is again battling breast cancer. [More »] (via labkat)

China's Shocking Cat and Dog Fur Trade - Trent Reznor slams killing of cats and dogs for fur in shocking new PETA video.

2006 Q Magazine Readers' 100 Greatest Albums Ever. These lists are always subjective but always interesting.

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from pattismith.net...


greetings

it's been a long time since i have written.
i am in paris and it is friday january 27.
i am lucky to attend the premier
of don giovanni on
mozart's 250th birthday.
a truly revolutionary fellow,
he wrote the overture
the night before it debuted.
he had to drink a few flasks
of wine but he did it.
a genius at making the establishment
shudder as he approached deadlines,
he played piano the opening night laughingly, shouting the proper notes
to his fellow musicians.
what a guy. please celebrate. you must have some mozart laying around.
i have the requiem. let's all play him together.
i send all good wishes. i am well and wearing fine black socks i bought
in rome near the vatican.
life is good and better with mozart,

patti smith

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It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —First Line from George Orwell's 1984

Looking through these 100 Best First Lines from Novels may have you heading for your nearest Borders or BarnesandNobeldotcom, adding another title to your 'To Read' list.

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saturday morning me//
long burgundy gown/moon & stars sox/
hazelnut coffee #2/orange juice/
sandalwood scents/3 candles burning/
listening: Leonard Cohen - One Thousand Kisses Deep/
& chatting with my daughter/
getting ready to do the laundry--wheeeee!/
so how about you?/


"I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me.
You'll never know the hurt I suffered nor the pain I rise above,
And I'll never know the same about you, your holiness or your kind of love"

~Bob Dylan - from "Idiot Wind"

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WEBTRAIL|Music

Somewhere along the way, the drum solo became a rock-and-roll punch line of the "More cowbell!" variety. - Link

Stewart Copeland @ Sundance. Speaking of drummers, Everyone Stares is a documentary by the ex-Police drummer debuting at Sundance this week.

GEMM - Welcome to the World's largest music marketplace! Looking for that out of print album? Want to unload some of your old vinyl?

The complete track listing for David Gilmour's forthcoming solo album, On an Island, has been revealed. Crosy & Nash also add vocals to one cut.

connexion: the selector is another good mp3 collab site with a nice mix of progressive music. Where else you going to find "Mr Eden's Lysergic Africa" online?

33 1/3 - News, reviews, ideas, thoughts, announcements and more - all connected to the 33 1/3 series of books published by Continuum. I received the Led Zep one for Christmas which is written by Erik Davis. And now the next in the series is announced. 33 1/3 Next and authors below:

"If You're Feeling Sinister" by Scott Plagenhoef
"Aja" by Don Breithaupt
"Shoot Out the Lights" by Hayden Childs
"Pretty Hate Machine" by Daphne Carr
"Use Your Illusion" by Eric Weisbard
"Horses" by Phil Shaw
"Double Nickels on the Dime" by Mike Fournier
"Pink Moon" by Amanda Petrusich
"People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" by Shawn Taylor
"Achtung Baby" by Stephen Catanzarite
"20 Jazz Funk Greats" by Drew Daniel
"The Dreaming" by Ann Powers
"Rid of Me" by Kate Schatz
"Another Green World" by Geeta Dayal
"Songs in the Key of Life" by Zeth Lundy
"Trout Mask Replica" by Kevin Courrier
"Let's Talk About Love" by Carl Wilson
"Lucinda Williams" by Anders Smith Lindall
"69 Love Songs" by LD Beghtol
“Marquee Moon” by Peter Blauner
“Swordfishtrombones” by David Smay

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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.

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The BEAST 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2005

33 - On Johnny Damon: Going from the Red Sox to the Yankees is like fucking the guy that murdered your husband.

5 - On Tom Delay: Explaining his failure to enlist during Vietnam: "So many minority youths had volunteered…that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself."

15 - On Karl Rove: "As people do better, they start voting like Republicans - unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing."

1 - 50

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WEBTRAIL - Born, Explore!, Crispin, Cohen, King, Lovelock & Blangha

'Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man' is a low-key and impressive music documentary that screened at Sundance on Saturday. Australian director Lian Lunson builds her film around a recent Australian concert at which musicians from Rufus Wainwright to Jarvis Cocker, Beth Orton and Nick Cave covered a set-list of Cohen numbers. We see Cohen performing for the benefit of her film, and after a minute, the camera pulls back to reveal his backing-band. It's U2. Rufus doing 'Hallelujah' is a fucking masterpiece. So good it hurts [MORE...]

Chapter One of the new book, 'Cell' by Stephen King

Born Magazine - Exquisite Art & Lit Collaboration. Link

Flickr: Explore! - Flickr labs have been hard at work creating a way to show you some of the most awesome photos on Flickr.

News on the uber imaginative Crispin Hellion Glover and his long time project, "What Is It?" which prompted one reviewer to exclaim, "Like Fellini on psychedelics-- wildly creative but completely twisted." He's been working on this project f o r e v e r. Link from the excellent insider's film news CineMadMag.

The current 'Reality' of Gaia - Thirty years ago, the scientist James Lovelock worked out that the Earth possessed a planetary-scale control system which kept the environment fit for life. He called it Gaia, and the theory has become widely accepted. Now, he believes mankind's abuse of the environment is making that mechanism work against us. His astonishing conclusion - that climate change is already insoluble, and life on Earth will never be the same again. Link

What is Blangha? Blangha is a contraction of the words "blog" and "sangha." The Blangha is an aggregator of news feeds from a community of Zen-oriented Buddhist bloggers.

This website looks best when viewed on company time.

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Here we go, Marie.

Marie sez: "What I'd really like to see is the random list of music from our teenager's iTunes..."

So I asked darling daughter for her random list of ten.

1. bleeding through:"love lost in a hale of gunfire"
2. trivium:"pull harder on the strings of your martyr"
3. walls of jericho:"there is no 'i' in fuck you"
4. martyr ad:"american hollow"
5. bury your dead:"bring the mosh"
6. it dies today:"threnody for a modern romance"
7. matchbook romance:"monsters"
8. bleeding through:"kill to believe"
9. jack johnson:"sitting, waiting, wishing"
10. bloc party:"banquet"

Sugar and spice and everything nice. That's what little girls are made of. Thanks, Sky.

What does your teen listen to?

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Hollywood Calls On Area's Weirdness

Director David Arquette is seeking 200 locals to be extras in a movie he’s going to film in Santa Cruz, California.

"The Tripper" is about a conservative man - a fan of Ronald Reagan - and his dislike for hippies. The man and his killer dog Nancy stalk a group of free-loving hippies while they’re attending an outdoor music and camping festival.

The movie crew is looking for people with tattoos, body piercings and beards – anything that represents the organic image of Santa Cruz. The movie is expected to be filmed here during the next few weeks.

Link

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I will NEVER tire of the song, The Way You Dream from the 1 Giant Leap documentary.

It features the singing of REM front man Michael Stipe and Asha Bhosle and slipped under my radar when it was originally made in 2000, but found it's way to me a few years ago. When I first saw the documentary I was actually haunted by this song for weeks. Do you ever hear a song or see a good film and it stays on your mind for days? Love when that happens. This particular song weaves its way throughout the doc. And there are many other good songs, too.

Imagine taking musical and spoken voices from around the world and blending them into a poetic, sonic mix. 1 Giant Leap is a Giant Loop of planetary sounds and soulful reflections on everything from Sex to the Sacred.

1 Giant Leap DVD features: Kurt Vonnegut, Dennis Hopper, Ram Dass, Tom Robbins, Anita Roddick, Brian Eno, Michael Stipe (REM), Robbie Williams, Neneh Cherry, Speech (Arrested Development), Stewart Copeland, Baaba Maal, Michael Franti, and many more.

Download this song and prepare to be enchanted. You'll thank me later. - 1 Giant Leap - The Way You Dream

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saturday morning me//
long burgundy flocked dress/black tights/
hot vanilla chai/wheat bagel/oj/
bedhead/get back red/what i said/
listening: of montreal on xm radio/
sandalwood & weed permeating the room/
high school all over again/
so how about you?/

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Friday Random Ten
Haven't done this in a while. Shuffle 'em up and show us your ten.

Random Ten
1) Sister Anne - MC5
2) Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
3) Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
4) Daffy Duck - Animal Collective
5) The Plague Mass - Diamanda Galas
6) Tangled Up In Blue - Bob Dylan
7) A Sea Of Honey - Kate Bush
8) Knives Out - Radiohead
9) Winter - Rolling Stones
10)Parting Gift - Fiona Apple

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Inside the mind of Joe Seigenthaler. Whenever I see his work, I'm interested in what goes on in the mind of the artist as much as the actual art work.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1959, Joseph Seigenthaler currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, where he has exhibited his figurative sculpture for the past 15 years. He is married to the painter Anne Gilbert from Paris, France and they have three beautiful daughters, ages 11, 9, and 6 years old.

The artist is represented by Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago.

Link

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2 Things You Can Do Now To Help Darfur

What will you tell your grandchildren you did during the Sudan genocide? A grassroots movement is taking place in North Carolina. North Carolina is the 14th State in a growing coalition of States to have filed or passed divestment legislation.

Across our community concerned individuals are supporting House Bill 1294, which calls for divestment of North Carolina public funds from companies that do business with the Sudanese government.

*1) Please support this effort by signing an on-line petition


Dear President Bush,
During your first year in the White House, you wrote in the margins of a report on the Rwandan genocide, "Not on my watch."

I urge you to live up to those words by using the power of your office to support a stronger multi-national force to protect the civilians of Darfur.

*2) Send Postcard To George Bush

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WEBTRAIL - Dubya, TYA, Into The Mystic, Customers, Psym-who?, Gurus, Madness & Freaks

Defective Yeti has another humorous piece for you on George Bush. Iraqi Invasion: A Text Misadventure

Into The Mystic is a smart and soothing breath of fresh air.

If you like 60s music, Sonic Pollutions, is a good site that's blazing a trail on the blog circuit. Ten Years After featured today.

In case you forgot to save it the first time around --How to get a real live human when calling Customer Service.

Psymbiote is today's one of "6000 intriguing people you want to meet online before you die".

Everybody's doing it. Sudoku now in most newspapers will also be included in the Asheville C-T.

Guru Ratings - Yep, they're ALL there.

Today's Quote - Madness is not enlightenment, but the search for enlightenment is often mistaken for madness. ~Richard Davenport-Hines

Too many freaks, not enough circuses.

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Indie distributor IFC Films said Monday it secured U.S. theatrical rights to experimental filmmaker Matthew Barney's "Drawing Restraint 9." It will debut March 29 at New York's IFC Center, with regional distribution to follow.

"Restraint" is the latest feature film from art-world darling Barney, who wrote, directed and starred in several movies as part of his "Cremaster Cycle" from 1995 to 2002. It is his first onscreen collaboration with wife Bjork, the famed musician who also scored the film, which marks her return to acting after an acclaimed turn in Lars von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark." [MORE...]

Link

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Share My Wifi and Free Highspeed Internet. You can ask someone nicely. Or you can "borrow" your neighbor's wireless connection.
via

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This is a repeat of a 2004 post since this has come up twice in the past few days.

Your S.P.O.T.
Some Buddhists and others have what's known as a SPOT: "Special Place Of Tranquility" and it translates well to anybody no mater what your spiritual level. (S.P.O.T.)

Basic SPOT items are:

prayer or meditation beads, amulets, candles, incense and holder, bells, crystals, and flowers. Incense takes the center of the alter, shelf, or table, with a candle and a bell on the right and flowers on the left. Your SPOT should have a universal flavor that can also be individually customized.

You can chant, pray, meditate, or do a reading while lighting the candle, ringing the bell, or using the prayer beads in any order or rhythm that fits you. A minimal SPOT visit could just be ringing the bell and doing gassho (bowing with palms together), and you could have a more involved SPOT visit when something other than routine rolls around or mood dictates it. It can be as basic or grandiose as you wish.

[gassho (gah-'show) is a zen affirmation of life from an intention of humility, gratitude, and mindfulness together with a quick bow with palms together]

[MORE...]

Something I enjoy doing at home for spiritual nourishment and to keep me grounded and thought you may want to incorporate it into your daily life, too.

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WEBTRAIL - Gimp Nipples, Truthiness, War Pimp, David Blaine, CribCandy, and Buns

War pimp alert: U.S. President George Bush, speaking at a Washington press conference, said: "Iran armed with a nuclear weapon poses a great threat to the security of the world. Second verse (Iran)-- Same as the first (Iraq).
[MORE...]

David Blaine. Master magician or master of deceit? Like him or not, did you know he had a treasure hunt and gave away a 100k prize a few years ago? Link. And I see that he's also a blogger. Interesting.

"Somebody get a bucket, I think I'm gonna Truth!" Stephen Colbert's episodes featuring all his Wørds of the day on "The Wørd" and his (Usually) Truthy Intros. [MORE...]

Here at Comfortstand, we decided to celebrate the changing of the year by asking artists from all over the world to take the song most associated in people's minds with New Years Eve (the old Scottish song 'Auld Lang Syne'), and to provide their interpretations of the tune.
Link

From Comforstand I followed a link to a MySpace site of a band by the name of Gimp Nipples. Quite an innovative name, wouldn't you say? Just what visual would you have to experience to come up with a name like that? Shudders.

Crib Candy has cool stuff for your home from the kitschy to the practical to the eco-friendly. via: thumbmonkey

I don't want buns of steel. I want buns of cinnamon.

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Comedian DAVE CHAPELLE sez "There are no secrets in Mississippi."

"Morning, Nigger."
"Morning, Sir."

It got huge laughs. His humor is based in truth. It made this white girl realize as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr's birthday today, we really haven't come very far at all with civil rights and race relations.

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saturday morning me//
hazelnut café au lait/oj/cream cheese biscuit/
milk thistle/ginseng jelly/valerian/a & c & e/b-6 & b-12/
snow dusted hair/sweat pants/hoodie/tennis shoes/
wishing kane a happy birthday/
bet he doesn't have snow!/
stay safe & warm--i have 34° and light snow/
so how about you?/

The Constitution - You're either with it or against it.

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He was someone's husband and father. A Pink Floyd fan. An electrical engineer by trade, but his passion was music and he owned a music store.

His store was a shelter from the storm of imposed sanctions for many years and for some Iraqis their only link to the outside world.

Personal and poignant tribute to Alan, the Iraqi interpreter who was recently killed in Iraq who also accompanied Christian Science Monitor journalist Jill Carroll.

[MORE]

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Sad News
From Gary Rhine's Website...

It is with great sorrow that we inform the readers of Rhino's Blog that Gary Rhine has passed away. Gary died while doing something he loved - flying a small plane. The plane crashed in Lancaster, California, on January 9th at 1:40 p.m.

The funeral will be in San Francisco
on Sunday the 15th of January:
Congregation Beth-Israel-Judea
625 Brotherhood Way
San Francisco, Ca. 94132
Services will begin at 1:30.

A memorial will be held in Los Angeles at a later date. That information will also be posted here when we know more.

If you would like to contact Gary's family, then you can e-mail his wife, Irene Romero, at: imromero@kifaru.com

The family thanks you for your concern. In lieu of flowers, you may choose to honor Gary by sending a contribution to one of the following two charitable organizations that Gary cared deeply about:

The Friendship House
56 Julian Street
San Francisco, Ca. 94103

Plenty USA
PO Box 394
Summertown
Tennessee, 38483
(on the memo line, please indicate that the funds should be directed to the Rhino/Katrina Building Fund)

Rhino's Blog : Political activism, commentary & satire from a 5th generation San Franciscan, filmmaker, father, paramedic, and Indigenous rights activist. Rhino's Blog

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Wolf, You Ignorant Slut
Howard Dean rips Wolf Blitzer a new one:

BLITZER: Should Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, who has now pleaded guilty to bribery charges, among other charges, a Republican lobbyist in Washington, should the Democrat who took money from him give that money to charity or give it back?

DEAN: There are no Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, not one, not one single Democrat. Jesus, Wolf, what the fuck's wrong with you? Are you a journalist, or just another greased-up whore getting assfucked by the White House? Every person named in this scandal is a Republican. Every person under investigation is a Republican. Every person indicted is a Republican. This is a Republican finance scandal. There is no evidence that Jack Abramoff ever gave any Democrat any money. And we've looked through all of those FEC reports to make sure that's true.

BLITZER: But through various Abramoff-related organizations and outfits, a bunch of Democrats did take money that presumably originated with Jack Abramoff.

DEAN: That's not true either. There's no evidence for that either. There - is - no - evidence. What, does the RNC have photos of you blowing goats or something? Jesus Christ.

BLITZER: What about Senator Byron Dorgan?

DEAN: Get a fucking grip, you ball-less patsy. Senator Byron Dorgan and some others took money from Indian tribes. They're not agents of Jack Abramoff. There's no evidence that I've seen that Jack Abramoff directed any contributions to Democrats. I know the Republican National Committee would like to get the Democrats involved in this. They're scared. They should be scared. They haven't told the truth. They have misled the American people. And now it appears they're stealing from Indian tribes. The Democrats are not involved in this.

BLITZER: Unfortunately Mr. Chairman, we got to leave it right there.

DEAN: I bet we do, Wolf, you incredible whore. Here's a hanky. Wipe up, for God's sake.

[From the beautifully twisted mind of Maru]

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"I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony. The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated."

WITNESS the Photography of -James Nachtwey-

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"Nuclear War Against Iran"

By Michel Chossudovsky
globalresearch.ca
1-5-06

The launching of an outright war using nuclear warheads against Iran is now in the final planning stages.

Coalition partners, which include the US, Israel and Turkey are in "an advanced stage of readiness".

Various military exercises have been conducted, starting in early 2005. In turn, the Iranian Armed Forces have also conducted large scale military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf in December in anticipation of a US sponsored attack.

Since early 2005, there has been intense shuttle diplomacy between Washington, Tel Aviv, Ankara and NATO headquarters in Brussels.

In recent developments, CIA Director Porter Goss on a mission to Ankara, requested Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan "to provide political and logistic support for air strikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets." Goss reportedly asked " for special cooperation from Turkish intelligence to help prepare and monitor the operation." (DDP, 30 December 2005).

In turn, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has given the green light to the Israeli Armed Forces to launch the attacks by the end of March:

All top Israeli officials have pronounced the end of March, 2006, as the deadline for launching a military assault on Iran.... The end of March date also coincides with the IAEA report to the UN on Iran's nuclear energy program. Israeli policymakers believe that their threats may influence the report, or at least force the kind of ambiguities, which can be exploited by its overseas supporters to promote Security Council sanctions or justify Israeli military action. [More]

I used to think that Nixon was the worst president I'd ever voted against. This seed was planted ages ago and after the prerequiste amount of fear-mongering, the public will be aggitated enough to support this assault, too. If the latest news on an impending strike on Iran doesn't worry you, you may not have a pulse.

[Link - via Zim Zalabim]

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Media|Music

Syd Barrett, The Swinging 60 - Pink Floyd's guiding genius walked away as stardom beckoned. On his 60th birthday, John Robb analyses his iconic status and speaks to those who remember him best such as Dave Gilmour, Pink Floyd guitarist, Daevid Allen, guitarist, The Soft Machine, and others. John Robb's "Punk Rock: The Oral History", will be published shortly by Ebury. Link

What else is wrong with mainstream media? It's strictly ad revenue driven. Re: Rolling Stones' Super Bowl gig --
Some 2,000 fans were offered free tickets to get a close-up view of the gig, with one condition attached: they had to be born after 1961. Link

1967 The Best Year For Music?
It's the year always associated with the Summer of Love and now Radio 2 listeners have voted it the ultimate for music. Link

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