This Brave Nation

Filmmaker Robert Greenwald (Outfoxed,Iraq for Sale) has produced another winner with the documentary This Brave Nation. This episodic series marries activism with hope and encouragement for those of us who have fallen into the abyss of powerlessness living through what this dangerous time engenders. Give the trailer a look-see and then go to This Brave Nation and watch episodes of this auspicious footage. Make no mistake about it; this nation will become completely fascist if we don't put our collective voices together and say, "No!" Peace takes Courage. I highly recommend Episode 3 Anthony Romero and Ava Lowery in conversation as a starting point.

Time for November 5th

"Better Late than never." -George Bernard Shaw, discussing his late in life change to vegetarianism.

This quote will do for my posting of "V Speaks," the monologue given by the character V in the film "V for Vendetta." As timely now as ever. Happy belated Guy Fawkes Day.

Stick It and Bury the Lead

Since I don't watch TV (except for Olbermann and a little PBS...c'mon, who can resist Antiques Roadshow?) I just heard about this summation done by the James Spader character, Howard Shore on the show Boston Legal. Great little Bill of Rights monologue worth watching.

To be expected, he lost the case.

In the "burying the lead" department:When you're done with Boston Legal, run over to Think Progress and watch Jim Webb have to practically beg our lawmakers to do the right thing in regards to the Lie-berman/KKKyl amendment which would give Chimpy permission to attack Iran.

GENERAL STRIKE IN USA on Sept. 11, 2007

“No School, No Work, No Shopping, Hit the Streets”

I'm in. How about you?

Action Alert

Action Alert from the Free Press:

The U.S. Postal Service is about to implement a massive hike in its rates for magazines that would put diverse and free speech at risk.

Postal regulators have decided to adopt a plan that favors the nation's largest publishers, like Time Warner and Hearst, while unfairly burdening thousands of smaller and independent magazines with much higher postal rates, as high as 20 or 30 percent.

You can help reverse this unfair decision by demanding that the new postal rates do not favor Big Media over small publishers:

Sign Our Letter to Stamp Out the Rate Hikes.

The plan to give Big Media lower rates was submitted by Time Warner, the nation's largest publisher. We were stunned when postal regulators chose the Time Warner plan -- with little apparent hard research on how the plan would affect small publishers -- instead of another proposal made by the Postal Service itself that would have imposed an equal increase on all publishers.

If implemented, the Time Warner plan could push many smaller publications to the brink of bankruptcy.

America's founding fathers understood that the First Amendment would be worth little without a postal system that encouraged broad public participation in America's marketplace of ideas. To ensure that a diversity of viewpoints were available to "the whole mass of the people," they created affordable postal rates that gave smaller political journals a voice.

The rate increase reverses this egalitarian ideal. It threatens the democratic discourse that our founding fathers fostered through the U.S. mail system.

Please join us in urging postal regulators and Congress to convene public hearings, investigate how these rate increases were decided in what seems to be an unfair and unorthodox way, and reverse the ruling.

Take action today:

Act Now: Save Small and Independent Publishers

With your help, we can stop this decision and restore the postal system that has served free speech in America so well.

Thanks for all you do,

Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net

1. To learn more about the campaign visit www.StopPostalRateHikes.com.

2. Read supporting editorials in the New York Times, Seattle Times and the Boston Globe.

Goin' Down to Bagdad

Antiwar Protest song by the Spicewood Seven of Austin, Texas; Music Video by famed italian post-realist director Antonio Zapanini.

Veto This Be-atch

John Edward's response to the presnit's veto:

Americans United's response:

Senator Jim Webb's response via KOS

Now, what's your response? When is the American appetite for hypocrisy sated? Call your congressperson and senator NOW!! Everyday you wait, people die. Make them listen. Show some courage and integrity. Do it. Now.

Letter from Joe

Auguste Rodin's Call to Arms

Joe Trippi, political pundit and senior advisor to John Edwards, has issued a call to arms.

It's time for hundreds of thousands and hopefully millions of Americans to act - and as a member of John Edwards One Corps, it's up to you to lead.

Congress has finally passed a binding plan to end the war. Bush is definitely going to veto. What Congress does next is up to us.

So here's what I'm asking. First, if you haven't already signed our petition calling on Congress to stand up to Bush and stick to the plan, please sign it immediately:

Sign the petition

Next, make a commitment to getting 3 friends - just three - to sign on with you. First forward this note, or write your own note and add the link. And then follow up - call them, stop by their cubicle at work - whatever it takes to get their attention.

Why is this petition so important?

Congress is about to enter a world of pain from the Bush administration's spin machine. They'll be called cowards, defeatists, and blamed at every turn for Bush's decision to de-fund the troops.

We've got to raise our voice louder than all of that - showing Congress that the American people see through the spin and we are all counting on them to stick to their plan.

We may not get another chance like this. It's time to act.

Thanks,

Joe Trippi
Senior Advisor
John Edwards for President

P.S. I'm new to the campaign, and I want to talk more to you about why I'm here and the difference we can make together. But right now we're in an emergency situation and we've got to leap straight into action.

Do it. Sign the petition or call your rep. today.

Face the Music

This is a face like many my husband sees everyday in his capacity as a military critical care physician. These are the faces of Americans. Some who enlist are excited by the sense of adventure and patriotism sold to them by media outlets and the incessant propaganda of BushCo. Some join the military as their only option out of poverty and hopelessness. Some are actual misbegotten believers in the bullshit spouted by men who have not found this cause noble enough to fight themselves, yet have no problem sending other people's children to die.

All of them are occupying and fighting a country embroiled in a civil war, being used as a private security force at the taxpayers expense, to enable American oil companies to greedily attain more profit. Is anyone furious? Ashamed? So caught up in cynicism that they think nothing can be done to stop this senseless squandering of blood and treasure?

Do something. Write or call congress or the senate. Tell them you want our people home now. Do it because it actually matters. The music is playing. Face it and please, dance.

H/T to Minstrel Boy for the photo.

The Ministry of Love

I love these guys!. Send 'em some love and a copy of George Orwells's 1984. And TGIF...