Where's my Bloggers Union Card?

Almost afraid to mention this ... in case I give anyone any ideas.
But the rabbit-holes take ya all different places.

1. Google spellcheck "anti authoritarian"
2. preview cartoon ... and yer down the rabbit-hole.

Wobblies??? I thought they were extinct!
Then ... then I land on antiauthoritarian.NET. They've got a NET! And a BLOG!
Voice of the SDS?
They're still alive?

Next Left Notes (NLN) is an independent Left publication that has its roots in the New Left movement of the Sixties. Like the magazine that inspired NLN — New Left Notes, the voice of SDS — our political persuasion is simple: Let The People Decide. Because we believe that the Corporate Press can not and will not cover the struggle for peace and progress in an unbiased or comprehensive way, it is our mission to cover the Movement.

 Emphasis mine.

And a UNION Editor! Whaaa? National Writers Union? 
I'm so ig'nant i din't know there was such a thing!
As part of the UAW?

Thomas Good is the original and current editor of Next Left Notes

 

 

He's helped re-member the SDS ... sounds like re-animating zombies!
Not sure how all that jibes. Self acclaimed anti authoritarian union writers.

And for bonus "down-the-rabbit-hole" points ... Go to the NLN site and confirm that some of the members actually come from a town named Academia.


 
Just to be clear, i don't want a shop steward right here at the Dubblewide.
Can't even imagine the paperwork necessary to authorize all the ashtrays.

Bicycle ride to school = Child abuse?

h/t Say Uncle

Are you neglecting your children by allowing them to ride a bike to school?
Appears so in TN.
Read the comments in the link for more details from the principle parent involved.
She's been promised/threatened with a visit from Child Protective Services.

Drop $650 for this nifty child abuse vehicle

Just took Son #2 back to college.
In the back of the pick-em-up was his Giant brand mountain bike.
Saw dozens of other vehicles of child neglect on campus.

Child neglect reaching epidemic proportions on a college campus

As a grammar school student, I had to walk to school ... Almost a mile away! Sometimes in the snow! On a route that took me under the Chicago Skyway! Where I sometimes saw dead rats!
Always knew my parents were negligent.

Alphabet Soup Agencies

Let's not talk about the big old dogs on the block. CIA, FBI, BATF.
They're all big. Old enough that you grew up with 'em. Some of 'em even had/have their own tv shows.

FBI - Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Like I said, they're big and old. With Mean 'n Tough reputations. Institutions.

No ... the dogs I'm talking about are the younger pups. The new litter whelped by Bitch Public Military and sired by Private Industry. A POTUS a long time ago talked about these dangerous dogs.

The litter is so big ... talking about each pup, even finding out about each pup, could be exhausting.
Following is a few I learned about this week.

VIPS; Volunteers in Police Service. A public/private volunteer org.







CCC Citizen Corps; The mission of Citizen Corps is to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds.

Is this the Civilian Corps that Obama asked for?

All the above I gleaned from the GSN site, Government Security News which has a wealth of news on whats happening in this enormous sector of the global police-state economy.

 
Of course, some pages of GSN are sponsored. By the likes of General Dynamics.


And all of it is giving me a flashback. As a nineteen year old buck private in the Regular Army, I was stationed at WRAMC, Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After transporting a patient to a clinic from our ward, I snagged a magazine from the waiting room. It was a glossy 4-color rag meant for Pentagon insiders. In it I was exposed for the first time to advertising for war material. Ads for tanks that read like ads for SUV's, missiles, high velocity penetrators, etc.. It was an educational experience.
What did I learn? 
 There is profit in war.


War is a Racket

Point made.

h/t View from the Porch

Per Tam's astute historical elucidation of the below post, graphic reworked.
Amazin' the difference one lil word makes.

Wonder what Pete Seeger plays

Just remember that a guitar is only an inanimate object. No guitar has ever incited a Wobblie to riot on its own. The finger strumming the guitar determines how its used.

Mystery Solved!

The Gibson raid still on my mind this am.
Either my wookie suit is on too tight, or the dots are all connecting, or something.

Woodie Guthrie's guitar sported a militant sticker...

Guitar manufacturer Gibson has replicated Guthrie's 1945 Southern Jumbo.

Photo from Gibson.com Woodie Guthrie SJ (Southern Jumbo)

 Look at the pic above! Are you kidding me? This land is your land!? What are you? Commies??!

Obviously our government can not risk fascist killing machines just laying around.

Save the date; May 8th

The whole world is watching! was the chant in Chicago's Lincoln Park circa 1969.

Calling Bill Ayers ... Bernadette? Hey Hey Ho Ho

Soon again, the world will be watchin Chicago.
h/t Chicago Tribune

Local activists gear up for G8, NATO summits planned for city.

Excerpts that jumped out;

... Chicago could see crowds of protesters similar to the 35,000 or so activists who descended on St. Paul, Minn., during the 2008 Republican National Convention,...

... Chicago activist Joe Iosbaker, who helped organize the RNC protests in 2008 and whose home was raided by FBI agents last October, ...

 ... recent statement by police Superintendent Garry McCarthy that the department is preparing for “mass arrests” of protestors during the summit. ...

Police Riot is what it came to be known as

 Wonderin' if it'll be like the "good ol' days

Prepping for militant citizen test, 1968

Iowahawk New Scandal at DoJ as Illegal Guitars End Up In Hands of Mexican Drug Lords

h/t Iowahawk

WASHINGTON – Today’s uncovering of secret multi-agency program for shipping illegal Gibson guitars to Mexican drug cartels ... rtwt @ Big Hollywood

For ya'll that ain't hip to the meme ... start with the real story of the raid of guitar maker Gibson by agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This audio is the most informative.

Interview of Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz ...

Money Quote: "It is my view, the reason we got raided the second time, ie. yesterday, is because, uhhh, there is a hearing for that court case (Gibson is suing for the return of almost a half million dollars of confiscated goods in a 2009 raid, in which NO CHARGES WERE BROUGHT), where we are showing compelling evidence that we have had no wrongdoing, and the government is trying to intimidate us into copping a plea.

Can you say "Thugocracy"? Thought so

Artwork! Awesome!

We interrupt our scheduled program with this commercial message;

Feast your eyes on the awesomeness of the brand-spanking-new header artwork.
Provided by the talented Robb Allen at Sharp as a Marble
Besides bloggy writin' (with free snark), he's an awesome pixel wrangler as well.

When he posted a "Red Light Special" on high quality American made pixels, i jumped on it.
Glad I did.

Pixels warrantied against fading for 5 years!

As a fellow member of the International League of Pixel Pushers, he was able to realize the featured header using only a blog description and a handful of existing posts right outta the gate. Nice!

Thanks Robb.
We now return you to our regular militancy already in progress.

Longenecker Plan ... Let no crises go unstudied

 h/t The Safer Streets Commentaries

John Longenecker,

Author John Longenecker has proposed that we study the upcoming weather event we've all been hearing so much about.

Follow the disaster news coverage of Hurricane Irene. Spot five issues of concern which you deem important to your safety, survival and sovereignty. Remember that not only do you, your family and property have to come out on the other side, but so does your sovereignty. 

Take notes during the coverage.  

Look closely at volunteers if any. Look closely at conditions. See if you can follow the coverage and spot issues of importance to you and yours. Be sure also to observe and evaluate reasonable and unreasonable official political actions.

Available at the usual outlets

I recently had similar thoughts. It will be interesting to see how the "powers that be" handle this one. I don't think Hurricane Irene will bring to play the "perfect storm" that was Katrina. Early forecasts expect Irene to degenerate to tropical storm as it caroms up the eastern seaboard. Nonetheless, as Mr. Longenecker notes,  "emergency citizen disarmament" is already being called for by one Governor.

Take notes and tune in to Disaster Management: Be Prepared and Armed, by Paul Revere Radio on September 1st.

The same concept, on a longer timeline, we've got the G8 Summit in Chicago, in May 2012. That one should be interesting.

As if you needed further proof of American Devolution

Went to grab a quick dinner this evening.
Stopped into a local fast food joint. Not a national chain.
Rather, a small, four storefront, southside enterprise.

I ordered 2 dogs. They come with fries. (Yay!)
You always get asked the same question with a hotdog order.
"You want everything on it?"
The proper answer is "Yes. Peppers too."

Now keep in mind, this is Chicagoland.
A hotdog with everything on it, round these parts is:
A cased meat product. Vienna brand dogs imho are the premium brand.
On a steamed bun. A bun with poppy seeds is bonus points.
Condiments that fall in the category of everything should include;

• Mustard
• Onions
• Relish
• Dill Pickle Spear or Cucumber Slices
• Tomato Wedges or slices
• Sport Peppers
• Sprinkled liberally with Celery Salt

Upon unwrapping my meal on a bun, this is the horror I found:

Fricken jalepenos!? Jalepenos?! No! No! No! Wrong!

 I did not order el hotdog la mexicano. Don't get me wrong. I like jalepenos. In my chili. With chips 'n salsa. On my enchiladas con suezo? Yep! Lotsa of 'em. Hell, bring 'em on in my Rancho Huevos! Pass the hot sauce too. But this con-fusion cuisine is the limit.

If you order eggplant parmesan ... would ya be disappointed if they substituted, say, cheddar?
If you asked for chili sauce for your tamale ... would ya be disappointed if they substituted, say, soy sauce? Condiments matter!
The proper pepper for a hot dog is the Mississippi Sport Pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Illustration provided for the education of the ignorant; S.P.O.R.T. Peppers!

Listen up! This ain't rocket science. This was invented round these parts! Get it right! 

Cross posted @Saddletamp

Police State Toys

h/t War on Guns

Coming soon to your neighborhood.



My favorite part of this vid is at the end, where the FLIR camera tracks puny humans trying to evade and escape. Run! Heh! Yer just gonna die tired!

Linked from Vanguard Industries site, the Government Security News site features an interview with Randy McDaniel, chief deputy of the Montgomery County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Sheriff McDaniel points out that a sky blue paint job makes these birds practically undetectable hovering at 700 feet.

“I couldn’t afford any kind of air capability for this department,” said McDaniel, but thanks to a DHS grant of approximately $200,000, awarded to Montgomery County as part of the Houston, TX, urban area security initiative (UASI), he considers a micro-helicopter affordable. The fact that Vanguard is based nearby, in Montgomery’s county seat of Conroe, TX, probably makes the procurement decision that much easier.

As David @ The War on Guns points out, this is a public/private partnership. Public/private ... public/private. Where have I heard about that concept? Where? Oh yeah!

IKE! Saying goodbye to America. (RTWT) He felt one of the greatest threats to the nation was the unholy alliance of the military-industrial (public/private) complex.

 In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

That was 1961 folks. The olden days.

Now we have elected officials that trumpet the public/private alliances. To cheers. For more. 'Tis truely a Brave New World.

Bus tour review

Y'know, when the light hit it JUST right ...

"The Beast" on Tour ... 2011

Lets start here ...

Many bloggers share similar viewpoints.
As a meme is picked up and repeated it spreads through the net.

Some denigrate this phenomenon as an "echo chamber".
While this view has some validity, a "preaching to the choir" aspect, I'd like to present a slightly different view.

You can't stop the signal

Let's call it signal amplification.
What may start as a small indistinct sound, through repetition and amplification, becomes a broadcast.

See Gunwalker

What was once unintelligible noise becomes a distinct unignorable message.
Hope someone gets the message loud and clear.
Hope that tuning in here doesn't bore ya.