Discount Looking Glass Outlet:
1) FYI: The Pen is Taking Action on GMO’s
2) FYI: News from the Homeless Wars
2A) Quixote Village Groundbreaking
2B) City’s Budget for Homeless Services
3) Poetics of Displacement: Indigenous Identity in Unwelcome Space
4) PiPE-Line Benefit for Partners in Prevention Education
5) Really Really Free Market
6) FOR Potluck @ Priest Point Park
7) Come Meet Sue Gunn
8) Bonus Tip of the Day
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Hey Kids!
I am very proud of this week’s Thunderbolt. I have also made a radio show out of this that is — at the risk of tooting my own horn — a masterpiece.
A couple of weeks ago I pointed out that since only rich kids can afford college now, then that means that federal prisons can provide a fantastic alternative for learning the skills necessary for survival in this Brave New World…
…but then I realized that this doesn’t address the little kids! (i.e. the real kids!)
Thus, I am proud to announce that the first segment of this week’s Thunderbolt will be aimed at the little people!
Yes, Kids, (and kids too!) we here at The Thunderbolt (actually, I here at The Thunderbolt) feel that kids are never too young to learn about genocide and slaughter and about the ties between illicit drugs and the economy!
Yes, I feel that kids should be prepared for the actual world that they will actually be facing!
And I’m here to tell you, kids, that you need to immediately forget nearly everything that they taught you in school and just listen to old Uncle Dana as he tells you how the world really works!
This is a segment I am calling…
(Start Sesame Street theme song…)
Poppy Seed Street!
Hazy Daze!
Climbing up the walls all day!
On my way to where the drugs are cheap!
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Poppy Seed Street?
[Yeah, Dude, I can hook you up! Wha cha need?]
Smoke crack all day!
Everything’s A-OK !
Deadly neighbors there!
But that’s where we meet!
[You got my money, punk? You got any life insurance?]
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Poppy Seed Street?
It’s a puke on the carpet ride!
Every cell door will open wide!
For strung out people like you!
Strung-out people like…
What a wasted…
Hazy Daze!
Climbing the walls all day!
On my way to where the drugs are cheap!
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Poppy Seed Street…
How to get to Poppy Seed Street!
[You got my money, bee-atch? This ain’t no Sesame Street game we playin’ here! You in de Hood now!]
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Poppy Seed Street: Lesson One
So, kids, our first lesson is about ‘capitalism’.
Can you say ‘capitalism’?
Now ‘capitalism’ is a parasite that consumes its host and it consists of ‘predators’ and ‘prey’. Under this system there are ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ and those who rise to the ‘top’ are those who are the most ruthless and cutthroat. I am afraid that nice people don’t fare so well here, kids, so forget all those things they taught you in kindergarten about fairness and sharing and not hitting people because then you will be a ‘loser’.
Now, the game is completely rigged so the only way to get to the top is to ingratiate yourself with those already at the top and the best way to do that is to kill lots of people. I know this sounds like a lot of trouble and bother and maybe it’s not very nice — but ‘predators’ get to own more than a thousand families could possibly spend in a thousand lifetimes and they get to live in decadent luxury while ‘prey’ is lucky if they can feed their children and they often live in poisonous crime-ridden hell-holes; thus, as long as ‘capitalism’ reins you definitely want to be a ‘predator’ rather than ‘prey’ — but the reality is that there is lots of ‘prey’ while I am afraid that there are not very many ‘predators’ — so you need to take measures! The best way to be a ‘predator’ is to be born into a wealthy white family; but as our current president demonstrates, there have been many cases of people rising from the bottom to take over! It simply requires insane amounts of ambition, completely killing all human compassion, and selling your soul to the Devil.
It’s easy, kids!
Now: In order to assure that you become a ‘predator’ rather than ‘prey’ you must become rich, and to become rich you need to steal lots and lots of money — but you must be very careful because if you don’t steal enough money then you might go to jail!
The trick here is to steal enough money to buy yourself a government! Then you can steal to your heart’s content with no fear of suffering anything as distasteful as being arrested! Plus, when you own a government then even if you lose all your money then you can get your pet government to make the ‘losers’ pay for that too!
Heads you win and tails they lose! You can’t beat it! Literally!
Yet another way for someone who is not rich to get rich is to buy lots and lots of those pretty poppy flowers! (That, in fact, is why I called this segment ‘Poppy Seed Street’!) Yes, Kids! Thanks to the ingenious ‘War on Drugs’, illicit drugs have become the biggest business on the whole entire planet and this little innocent pretty easy-to-grow flower can be processed into some of the most popular illicit drugs there are — and then you can make a fortune!
That’s all for this week kids! Next week we’ll learn how to corrupt governments and assassinate labor leaders!
Won’t you be my neighbor?
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A Word from Your Discount Looking Glass Outlet!
(E Caveat Emptor, Sucker!)
Yes, Kids, I also have some spectacular news exclusive to The Thunderbolt for you this week!
I am proud to announce that after many decades of painstaking and extensive research and study — I have finally figured out what is wrong with the world!
(Sorry it took me so long!)
You see, here is our problem: We’ve fallen through a frigging discount Looking Glass!
Consider: What if you reported a crime and they threw you into jail for reporting it while the actual criminal received a promotion?
That is exactly what they did to Brad Berkenfeld. That is exactly what they are trying to do to Bradley Manning.
Really? What the hell kind of Looking Glass is that?
What if you were robbed of nearly everything you owned but when you called the police, the police explained that the robber had subsequently lost all of your money gambling at a casino and that now in addition to your losses from the theft you must also now pay for his gambling debts?
That is exactly what Wall Street just did to us and that was exactly the government’s response.
Wow, that Looking Glass must have some shite on the lens or something, eh?
What do you say when the task that is the most important most demanding and carries the most responsibility (i.e. motherhood) receives not one doodly of any squat concerning financial remuneration for their efforts whilst arrogant sociopathic human-mutant hybrids who not only contribute absolutely nothing to our world but actually suck it dry receive compensation that is so over-the-top overblown that is quite literally insane?
Jeez! This Looking Glass must have been made by a child slave in a Third World sweatshop or something!
Can I get a refund on this thing?
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A Word from the Society for Evangelical Sexism
My question here: Does anyone really know anyone who isn’t a ‘sexist’? I mean, really?
From what I can gather not being a sexist means that you must view all humans with no regard for any sexual differences and/or to view both sexes as totally equal. Sorry, Kids, but this philosophy/ worldview/ religion/ whatever seems flawed on its face by the fact that men and women are profoundly different from each other in ways far deeper than the merely physiological or even the cultural baggage that all of us carry whether we want it or not; we are different in the way our psychologies work, in both brain function and physiology and in many other ways as well. There are a wide variety of individual permutations upon this theme but that is the general rule.
I believe that the bottom line concerning sexism is that women can have babies and that men can’t.
I think this means that the women are the ones with the real power around here.
My theory about the oppression of women is I think that while most men understand this subconsciously I think that most do not understand this consciously — and the cognitive dissonance this creates is what I think responsible for the fact that the lives of so so so many frigging women have been so so so frigging miserable for so so so many centuries now.
Get it? Women have been so brutally oppressed for all these centuries because all these big bad tough nasty men are so scared of them…
(Should I say it?)
(YES!!!)
…just like a bunch of little sissy girls!
Man-up, dudes! Acknowledge the real frigging power around here!
Have you had any babies lately? Huh?
I suspect that most of the long line of Catholic popes that were collectively responsible for the murder of over 9 million European women for being ‘witches’ probably were consciously aware of where the real power lied.
Thus, I must indeed plead guilty to the charge leveled at me of being a sexist for I do indeed consider women to be far superior to men in nearly every way that really counts. If you need some brute strength or if you want a boy-toy or if you need someone’s ass kicked then you might want to call a man — but otherwise we’re pretty much useless except possibly for purposes of entertainment. (Gee! Look at the monkey throwing the ball through the hoop!)
As far as the brutal oppression of women goes: That is getting better but it is still systemic. While I feel I have little if anything to apologize for on a personal level — I am a man and so I will apologize on the behalf of all men for you ladies having to endure all of that. I understand that that probably means next to nothing as far as any real effect upon such a monstrous and permeating disease — but you also have my word that I will do what I can to marginalize this worldview.
That is part of what I am doing here.
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A Word from Your Creator:
I’m going to return now to the meme of putting aside personal differences and combining forces to fight the Machine now…
Being the hyper-critic that I am when it comes to any and all powerful institutions I have never bought into any religious beliefs and in fact I consider people who live by ‘faith’ and ‘belief’ to have a socially acceptable and often quite powerful form of mental illness. This particular mental disorder is more often than not benign and in many cases their condition actually leads to some profoundly cool things on both the societal and personal levels. My ex-wife became a full-bore born-again Christian shortly before our marriage completed the final stages of the crash. (Long story.) (They usually are.) Yet to this day my ex-wife remains my favourite person that I’ve ever known in a very long and insanely varied life of getting to know lots and lots of insanely varied people all over the highways streets coffee houses university campuses parties festivals concerts Rainbow Gatherings and Burning Man’s of North America.
Christians are always at the forefront of social justice issues and unlike most liberals many of them even get the homeless thing.
My ex-wife is an anti-abortion activist. I accept that in her because in her case I know it is because she is convinced in her heart-of-hearts that that fetus is a human and — unlike many other anti-abortion activists — because my ex-wife also cares with the same dedicated fervour about people after they are born.
Refer to my previous work, The Concept of Accepting a Diversity of Worldviews for the view that we need to put more of our personal differences aside and focus on our mutual enemy — that darned old Machine…
…who views our inner dissention with great glee and fuels the flames whenever possible.
Again: I know many activists in Olympia would reject my ex-wife because of her stance on abortion even though she is one of the most awesome people I have ever known — and even though when it comes to the Machine she is on our side. Yes, I know that the attitude of other Christians can be problematic. Even putting aside the overarching things like Inquisitions and Witch Burnings there are things like the Olympia Union Gospel Mission; those folks feed clothe and provide referrals to people for medical care and the myriad other needs for a good portion of Olympia’s homeless population. However, the OUGM tells homeless people that they are in such sorry shape because they are evil bad people and the only way to save themselves from their evil badness is to wholly and without question accept their bigoted and ignorant brand of religious dogma because otherwise a god that profoundly loves them will still allow them to scream in agony in a lake of fire for all eternity if they don’t follow a bunch of rules that are in some cases problematic and in other cases just plain stupid.
I find the OUGM’s attitude toward homelessness problematic for several reasons and on several levels — but whatever…
I just wish all these religious people would stop trying to use the power of the law to force their bigoted superstitions down everyone else’s throat.
Anyway, rather than saying I ‘believe in’ karma, the correct depiction is to say that I am ‘aware of the existence’ of karma. I have no idea of how or why it works; I just know that it does work because I have quite literally been living on it all my adult life. In addition, I don’t really care much about how or why it works either, because part of the deal seems to be that you will learn whatever you need to learn to do whatever you need to do if you pay attention — and believe me, there is a whole infinite universe[s] out there. It should be noted, for instance, that even when you pay attention probably about 99.99999999% of what’s coming at you still flies by you without notice. Thus, at any given time there’s infinitely more going on than you or any other human on the planet will ever be able to absorb — so just take it as it comes and enjoy the ride! I have always just gone with the flow and played it for all it was worth — and it has worked for me very well for many decades now, thank you.
While I don’t have ‘beliefs’, I do have some ‘theories’. Aware of the fact that every atom in our bodies were once inside an exploding star I suspect that humanity represents a manifestation of the Universe attempting to become aware of itself. I suspect and theorize that we have our own personal energy and that everything else has energy of differing levels and types and that the Earth itself has energy (and possibly even a sort of collective intelligence) and that all these energies interact in various magical mysterious and wondrous ways.
Therefore, if my theories are accurate then we probably also have a collective karma. Thus, besides the fact that murdering families for profit is such a stupendously heinous thing to do — it is also very bad karma, dude!
Someone tell Goldman $achs! I am sure they will return all the money the stole from grandma’s pension fund if only they knew that it would mean cleaning up their karma!
It’s time to get to work…
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1) FYI: The Pen is Taking Action on GMO’s
Here is the Pen’s Action Page for GMOs:
http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1117.php
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2) FYI: News from the Homeless Wars
2A) Quixote Village Groundbreaking
Saturday June 8th @ 3350 Mottman Road SE
It’s a groundbreaking party for the new permanent homeless village!
Who says activism doesn’t work?
This from the City of Olympia:
Greetings!
Panza & Quixote Village extends this cordial invitation to attend the Quixote Village Groundbreaking to be held on Saturday, June 8th at 3350 Mottman Road SE, Olympia.
For more information please call 459-7177
M. Anna Schlecht / Housing Program Manager
City of Olympia Housing Program
City of Olympia / 601 4th Avenue East / Olympia WA 98501
(360) 753-8183 / aschlech@ci.olympia.wa.us
City of Olympia Website: http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us
Please Note: This message and any reply may be subject to public disclosure.
(Please Note: That message that is now tacked on at the end of all city emails resulted when some of us went through a bunch of city emails and discovered some very interesting stuff…)
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2B) City’s Budget for Homeless Services
In a related development the city just released its budget for homeless services:
Pasted below is information on the City of Olympia’s CDBG public hearing and proposed allocations for the upcoming program year 2013 (September 1, 2013 – August 31, 2014) and the proposed Consolidated Plan, 2013 – 2017. I will be emailing a link to the Draft Consolidated Plan on Friday, May 31st. Paper copies will be made available at Olympia City Hall, Thurston County Courthouse Bldg. #1, the Housing Authority, any of the Thurston County Timberland Public Libraries.
Please let me know if you need special accommodations to participate in the public hearing.
Olympia CDBG Public Hearing
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Olympia City Council
(Special Meeting)
Room 207
Olympia City Hall
601 4th Avenue, E.
The Olympia CDBG public hearing is open to anyone who is interested in the City’s five-year CDBG Consolidated Plan as well as the one-year Annual Action Plan for the first Program Year 2013 (September 1, 2013 – August 31, 2014). This public hearing will occur at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, June 11th as a special meeting of the Olympia City Council.
In order to maximize the amount of time for public testimony there will be no staff presentation. Those wishing to testify must sign-up prior to the beginning of the 5:30 meeting on June 11th, doors will open by 4:30 pm. People not accommodated during the June 11th Public Hearing will have a second opportunity to testify during the regular City Council meeting on June 25th – but only if they signed up prior to 5:30 on June 11th. For more information on the CDBG Program, Consolidated Plan or how to participate, please contact either:
Anna Schlecht at 360-753-8183 or aschlech@ci.olympia.wa.us
Heather Reed at 360-753-8436 or hreed@ci.olympia.wa.us
CITY OF OLYMPIA COUNCIL PROPOSED CDBG PY2013 SPENDING:
$55,000 (Public Facilities) Panza – Quixote Village Community Center Construction Costs
$40,500 (Social Services) Panza – Quixote Village O & M
$144,000 (Public Facilities) CYS Shelter/ Rosies Drop-in Shelter Construction Costs
$158,000 (Housing Rehab) Family Support Center Housing Construction Costs
$10,000 (Social Services) CYS / Transitional Housing O & M
$12,000 (Social Services) Out of the Woods – Family shelter O & M
$5,000 (Social Services) Together – Evergreen Villages Community Center O & M
$25,500 (Economic Development) Enterprise for Equity Micro Enterprise Business Trainin
$450,000 TOTAL PROPOSED CDBG ALLOCATIONS
$450,000 (Public Facility)* Isthmus Park project Demolish two existing buildings
*Please note: Funds will only be used as a contingency use for any additional CDBG program income that may be received for the acquisition and demolition of the isthmus property. Funds will only be used to ensure compliance with timeliness rules if any of the other programs doesn’t use its allocation on schedule
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3) Poetics of Displacement: Indigenous Identity in Unwelcome Space
Thursday June 6th at 6 PM @ TESC Library
This from the organizers:
Join us in the Evergreen Library Lobby for an important reading by Mapuche Williche poet Graciela Huinao—one of the most renowned Latin American writers of this decade! Huinao will be joined by:
• Sin Fronteras: Canto Nuevo music honoring Latin American indigenous regions
• Dr. Leticia Nieto: Anti-oppression educator, psychotherapist, performer
• Carmen Hoover: Ioway poet and novelist
• Paul Che Oke Ten Wagner: Coast salish storyteller and flute player
• Pasajer@s Playback Theater
Bring an open and respectful heart • contact ccbla@evergreen.edu for more information •
Brought to you by the President’s Diversity Fund, Afrofuturisms, the Spanish Speaking World, Jose Gomez, SOS: Sustainability and Justice, Reading Between the Lines, Gateways for Incarcerated Youth, the Longhouse, First Peoples Advising Services, academic deans, Native Student Alliance, Native Studies Programs, Esencia and Partners of the Americas
https://www.facebook.com/events/576940658993491/
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4) PiPE-Line Benefit for Partners in Prevention Education
Saturday June 8th at 8 PM @ Buzz’s Tavern, 5018 Mud Bay Road NW
It’s a benefit concert for PiPE!
This from PiPE:
This is it! There will be an auction between songs … Westport fishin’ trip, massage session, Sounders tickets, all good stuff!
https://www.facebook.com/events/223562747783815/
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5) Really Really Free Market
Sunday June 16th from 2 to 5 PM @ Heritage Park, Corner of 5th Av SW and Water St
It’s the ‘other’ Free Store! Since it was so popular last year, management is discussing declaring a price war on the CoOp Free Store again, but the Really Really Free Market always guarantees that all merchandise in stock will be covered by our no-questions-asked 100% non-money back guarantee if you are dissatisfied with your non-purchase in any way.
This from the organizers:
Bring what you can, take what you need
A free gift economy!
Community gathering
Bring, and give away absolutely free, any usable items, skills, ideas, smiles, talents, friendship, excitement, discussions, games and many others things that we as a community can come together and share.
100% free and non-commercial event.
Temporary autonomous zone instituting the gift economy as an alternative to the capitalist mode of resource distribution.
An ethos and a way of being that transforms people through its experience and is then carried into other areas of life.
https://www.facebook.com/events/446105272151951/
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6) FOR Potluck @ Priest Point Park
Wednesday June 12th at 5:30 PM @ Priest Point Park
It’s party time for the Fellowship of Reconciliation [FOR]! Come join in one of Olympia’s venerable activist organizations!
This from the organizers:
Wednesday June 12 at 5:30 pm:
Potluck Picnic at Priest Point Park
Everyone is invited to the Olympia FOR’s potluck picnic at 5:30 pm on Wednesday June 12in the Rose Garden kitchen area at Olympia’s Priest Point Park on East Bay Drive. The picnic will help us build a sense of community through sharing food and leisurely, wide-ranging conversations with other Olympia FOR folks.
Everyone is invited to stay for the 6:30 pm Steering Committee meeting. The Olympia FOR’s Steering Committee provides overall guidance and decision-making.
For information contact Glen Anderson at 491-9093 glen@olympiafor.org
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7) Come Meet Sue Gunn
Thursday June 13th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM @ 1607 East Bay Dr
Come meet an alternative to politics as usual.
This from the organizers:
• A scientist with years of experience in budget and appropriations processes
• Passionate about jobs, social justice, the environment and the public interest
• A strong advocate for a vibrant, working port
Hosts: Peggy Bruton and David Edwards
RSVP, 866-7165 or gimleteye@comcast.net
https://www.facebook.com/events/142275272633817/
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8) Bonus Tip of the Day:
Don’t be a predator.
Peace.
Dana
Viral Marketing:
1) FYI Section:
1A) News from KOWA!
1B) Backbone Campaign TPP Action Workshop
1C) Legislature Decapitating Low-Income Children with Budget Axe [Again]
1D) Update from Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
2) 3RD WVWV Phosphorescence Mini-Tour with iji, Eleanor Murray, Freaky Pup & Guests!
3) Green Party of South Puget Sound Coordinating Council
4) Joe Cappocia and Miles Nowlin @ the Pig Bar
5) Bradley Manning Support March in Seattle
6) Media Island/ Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace Benefit Brunch
7) Really Really Free Market
8) Mother Earth News Fair
9) POWER Outage: Peer-Review and the Art of the Writing Process
10) Bonus Tip of the Day
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Hey Kids!
This is a pain in the ass but I feel it’s worth it: I am changing the name of both this newsletter and the radio show to The Thunderbolt. When Matt and I first finalized plans for my radio show he wanted to list it in the schedule on the website — and so we needed an immediate name and ‘Oly Oly Action’ was the first thing to come to mind. However, I’ve never really been happy with that name and at this point of my life I want to be happy about as much as I can find to be happy about so I’m changing the name of my frigging operation.
Welcome to The Thunderbolt.
Now I am happy.
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I’m also happy about something else: My novels are now available online in downloadable PDF format. You can find them here: https://dana98501.wordpress.com/dancing-angel-media/
I am also going to see if I can post my radio shows online soon, so stay tuned. (I believe that Matt is working on archiving all of our KOWA shows on the KOWA website, too.)
And you can see the online version of The Thunderbolt at: https://dana98501.wordpress.com/
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So you may remember all the way to last week when I complained that lately I’ve been thinking about how we’ve been doing the same thing for 30 years now and have been getting our asses kicked the whole time and that my enthusiasm for business as usual was waning?
Last Saturday I went to the March Against Monsanto expecting to see the same 100 or 200 people who are always there for all the marches. Instead I saw 600 to 700 people most of whom I have never seen before. This was a truly inspiring march and I have regained heart!
Maybe the word is finally getting out?
Anyway, I’ve got a lengthy bit on genetic engineering and on viruses that I actually wrote a couple of years ago but it is still very relevant so I am going to include that in its own section at the end of the commentary section this week.
First though:
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The Dreamweaver in Chief
While it comes in very handy whilst conducting political analysis, it actually bugs me how good I am at detecting the hidden agendas of politicians. Most of the time it’s pretty easy as most politicians actually suck at the game; however, even with the masters I can almost instantly discern the hidden meanings and intentions behind their words and why they’re really saying whatever they’re saying and it’s almost like we’re kindred spirits or something because in certain ways my brain works so much like theirs do.
It is fortunate that I am honest because I probably could have been an effective politician.
As with every president since John Kennedy, the mere sound of Barack Obama’s voice makes me want to start pulling out my hair and beating my head on a wall. Thus, I spend little time listening to the Dreamweaver in Chief. Upon learning he was going to address the drone issue and the Guantanamo issue, though, I made an exception and listened to Obama’s latest speech — and thus gained firsthand witness to a Master Wizard who is at the very top of his game…
I am starting to think that Obama is probably the most effective manipulator of public perception that has ever inhabited the White House. This guy is truly epically scary dangerous, Kids. I came away from Obama’s speech shaken freaked and frightened to the core of my being because this guy is so frigging totally awesomely forbiddingly good.
Barack Obama proved that he is the perfect man for the job that he is actually there to do by adroitly suavely brilliantly and effectively convincing his army of acolytes that he is completely on top of everything. His performance was all the more impressive in that nearly everything he said was lies cover-ups and distortions — yet I am sure that millions hung on his every word.
Then, Medea Benjamin managed to get into the room. You can always tell when Medea Benjamin is in attendance at such events because she tends to very loudly disrupt whatever farce is playing out by screaming uncomfortable truths at high volume into the faces of powerful people.
In an interview the following morning Amy Goodman asked Ms. Benjamin how she always manages to gain entry to these things since it is a pretty sure bet that every security agent in Washington DC has Ms. Benjamin’s picture prominently displayed in their ‘watch out for this person’ list?
Ms. Benjamin replied she had trade secrets that she couldn’t share.
Medea Benjamin is a hero of major proportions and I would sit (and indeed I have actually sat) at her feet listening to her. I would probably do nearly anything that she might ask me to do…
…but I am afraid that I must call her out on that one:
Ms. Benjamin gained entrance because she was allowed entrance and she was allowed entrance because Obama then proceeded to play her like a fine Stradivarius. Rather than having her immediately tackled arrested and hauled away a lá George Bush, Obama instead engaged with Medea Benjamin directly — and then he very effectively made it seem as if he were the calm adult in the room while Ms. Benjamin was a ranting lunatic. He accomplished this feat even though Ms. Benjamin is actually an honest dedicated brilliant and knowledgeable activist who was speaking hard truth to power while Obama is a lying child-murdering sold-out sack of shite. While Obama referred to Ms. Benjamin a couple of times as “that woman” you can rest assured that he knows exactly who Medea Benjamin is and that he is quite aware of the fact that Ms. Benjamin is a major hero to millions of the people — and that many of those very same people who idolize Ms. Benjamin also comprise his ‘base’ (i.e. the people that he manages to fool into voting for him.)
Thus — after Ms. Benjamin was finally removed from the room — Obama masterfully played to Ms. Benjamin’s people by saying something to the effect of, “We should pay attention to what ‘that woman’ says because these issues are important and we need passion like hers to fix these problems and blahdy blahdy blah blah…”
(I could find the exact quote but since Obama’s words are worth approximately one sack of fecal material I’m not going to bother.)
Don’t you see, Ms. Benjamin? Obama cares about the fact that an innocent American child named Abdulrahman al-Awlaki — who had absolutely nothing to do with ‘terrorism’ — was murdered by one of Obama’s drones! We know he feels bad about this because he said so!
Yes — it is true that at the time the official Obama mouthpiece Robert Gibbs, when pressed about the murder of an American child with a drone, said that the young al-Awlaki “…should have had a more responsible parent.”
I kid you not. He actually said this. Amy has a clip somewhere on her website. The spokesperson for the president of the United States said that it is acceptable to kill a child if you don’t like his father…
But Obama now wants you to forget all that! That was then and this is now! Obama doesn’t believe in ‘looking backward’! (Except when he does.)
And you can take heart, Ms. Benjamin, when it comes to your expressed concerns about Guantanamo! Obama has your back! He has already mounted his white steed and he is even now charging to the rescue!
Yes — it’s true that he waited until ten years after scores of completely innocent people who were guilty of absolutely nothing yet have been imprisoned without any sort of doodly of any kind of squat concerning any manner of legal proceedings of any kind whatsoever for that entire ten years — but now that they are literally trying to starve themselves to death due to Obama’s inaction we can finally take heart because now we have yet more Obama promises!
Don’t you see, Ms. Benjamin? President Obama is personally attending to your valid concerns! Just ignore nearly everything that he has actually done for his entire presidency thus far! Listen to that soothing dulcet voice that is so smart so reasonable so heartfelt so engaging so believable and just listen to those comforting words! It’s so easy to just believe him!
You are now falling asleep…
—
Straight up: Watch the video of Obama’s speech through the lens that I just created.
Medea Benjamin may be one of my heroes but I am afraid even the truly formidable Medea Benjamin was no match for the Grand Master of public manipulation.
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Life Happens
Hysterical religious rhetoric aside, life is certainly mind-blowingly amazing and remarkable and it may even be miraculous — but it is hardly impossible, as our existence empiri¬cally proves. If you wish to create life — be it a slug, a head of broccoli, or a human being, you need only four principal elements — carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen — plus trace amounts of a few others — principally sulfur, phosphorous, calcium, and iron. Put all of these together in about three dozen or so combinations to form a few sugars, acids, and other basic compounds, and you can build anything that lives.
Of course, it is not quite that simple…
You must first create amino acids. Scientists have, in fact, created amino acids in a laboratory. Amino acids are not the problem though — proteins are. Proteins are what you get when you string amino acids together, and life requires a huge number and variety of them — and this is where things start to appear miraculous, because if you go by random probability, proteins should not exist at all much less in their vast and varied forms. To make a protein, you need to assemble amino acids in a specific order, similar to arranging letters in a specific order to create a word. To spell collagen, for instance, you need to arrange eight letters in their proper order — however, to make colla¬gen you need to arrange 1,055 amino acids in precisely the right order. Only you do not make collagen. It makes itself spontaneously and without direction. The chances of a 1,055-sequence molecule like collagen spontane¬ously self-assembling are virtually nil. The odds of spontaneously creating even a rela¬tively simple 200-sequence molecule are 1 in 10260.
10260 is a very large number.
There are, in fact, less than 10260 atoms in the entire universe.
And collagen is only one of several hundred-thousand types of protein — each unique — and as far as we know, each is vital to our life processes.
And that is still not all! To be of use, a protein must not only assemble scores of amino acids in precisely the right sequence, but must then fold itself into a very specific shape. Then, in order for everything to work, a protein has to reproduce itself. But it can’t. For reproduction, DNA is required. DNA is very good at reproduc¬ing itself but it cannot do anything else. So protein cannot exist without DNA and DNA is useless without protein — which leads to a classic chicken and egg scenario. Did they both arise simultaneously with the purpose of supporting each other?
If so, then gee golly whiz!
And that is not all! Without a cellular structure to contain them, all of these proteins and DNA are nothing more than interesting chemicals — but without the chemicals the cell has no purpose!
So if everything needs every¬thing else, how did it all ever get together in the first place?
Well, for one thing, they almost certainly evolved. Whether or not this evolution had a guiding intelligence directing it can be a subject of much useless debate since there is no empirical evidence one way or the other on that question but extreme self-assembled complexity is common in the universe — including the chemical reactions associated with life. Lots of mole-cules get together to form long chains called polymers. Sugars constantly assemble to form starches. Crystals do a number of lifelike things: They replicate, respond to environmental stimuli, take on patterned complexity, and so on. They have never achieved actual life, but they show repeatedly that complexity is a natu¬ral, spontaneous, and entirely commonplace event. There is no shortage of ordered self-assembly in everything from snowflakes to the rings of Saturn.
As for life, maybe a cumulative selection process allowed amino acids to assemble in chunks for some simple purpose, and then gradually moved on from there. In fact, so powerful is this natural impulse to assemble that many scientists now believe that given the proper conditions, then life is inevitable.
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Viral Marketing and GMOs
Early in our planet’s history, its mantle of nitrogen was transformed into a mix containing water vapour, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia. The water vapour condensed and fell as rain, collected in basins, and eventually formed vast and turbulent seas as the Earth gradually cooled under a furious storm that lasted for thousands of years. Ultraviolet radiation, huge volcanic eruptions, and massive thunderstorms provided the energy required to eventually produce organic compounds and trigger chains of chemical reactions. Then, deep in the seas, and thus protected from most ultraviolet radiation, these reactions eventually created deoxyribo¬nucleic acid, or DNA. [See the ‘Life Happens’ section above]
Sometime during this process was when the proteins were synthesized or created or whatever however they came about. Then the proteins combined with the deoxyribonucleic acid to form prokaryotes — the first living organisms. (This whole process was infinitely more complex and myste¬rious than I am indicating here but I wish to focus on viruses here so I am condensing the story a great deal…)
Some of these prokaryotes then mutated into photosynthetic bacteria that were capable of transforming carbon dioxide into a highly caustic poison called oxygen — a toxin that also happened to be a necessary component to the subsequent evolution of cellular respiration, a mechanism by which energy is now almost universally transformed by all advanced life forms. (Again, I am vastly oversimplifying in order to get to the point.)
After hundreds of billions of years these bacteria produced enough oxygen to begin shielding the Earth from ultraviolet radiation thus allowing the primitive respirating life forms — which were already evolving into ever increasingly complex multi-cellular organisms — to emigrate from the sea and onto the land.
However, even before this emigration occurred pieces of DNA had broken free from their cellular masters and set out on their own. Since they had no cellular structure of their own they were incapable of reproducing or trans¬forming energy on their own. Thus, in order to live and to reproduce, they became the original parasites; they invaded the cellular structures of other organisms and used these mechanisms in order to reproduce and to convert energy.
These were the viruses.
Viruses are unique. They exist in a state somewhere between life and non-life since they exhibit attributes of both. There is much controversy in scientific circles as to whether to classify viruses as ‘life’. They have no cells to confine them and no nuclei or organelles to direct them. They have no metabolism for converting energy; they do not produce ATP, the molecule that conducts energy for the biochemical reactions necessary for ‘life’ — thus, on their own viruses are incapable of performing even the most basic life func¬tions. They cannot exist outside other cells except as an inert substance. Unless they are inside a living cell they just sit there and nothing happens. Technically, while they are in this state they are not ‘alive’. However, in this ‘dead’ state, viruses are sticky. If a living cell happens to come along and touch the virus and if the stickiness of the cell happens to be compatible with the stickiness of the virus then the virus attaches itself to the cell. The cell feels the virus sticking to it and drags it inside — where the virus switches on and begins converting energy and reproducing using the machinery and the material from the cell to accomplish these tasks.
Thus, viruses became — and remain to this day — the ultimate parasite.
In size they are dwarfed even by bacteria. They are nothing more than minute packages of genetic material encased in a coat of protein — yet this very simplicity gives them an incredible ability to almost instantly mutate and adapt to almost any cellular environment. In fact, viruses ability to mutate and adapt might even qualify them for the title of ‘hyper-mutants’; they constantly change. They are quite literally shape-shifters, altering their nature as they move through populations and individuals. A virus can mutate even in the course of a single infection. A person who dies of aids, for instance, is usually infected with multiple strains that have all arisen spontaneously as mutants adapting to their environment. They are able to mutate faster than any likely changes to their environment. They are able to mutate faster than any likely changes in their ecosystems — and considering that they have survived for several billion years they are obviously extremely adept at looking after their own best interests.
There is evidence that AIDS — arguably, the worst envi¬ronmental disaster of the 20th Century as far as humanity is concerned — may well have adapted itself to infect humans after its original host, African primates, began to go extinct. A strain of simian AIDS virus was recently isolated from a chimpanzee in Gabon. This strain is the closest thing to HIV-1 that anyone has found in the animal kingdom to date. And while the chimpan¬zee is an endangered species their virus — now that it has adapted to humans — is thriving. In terms of sheer numbers and the amount of time that they have existed, next to bacteria viruses are by far the most successful of all creatures on the face of the Earth. They are on a constant single minded never ending quest to invade new cellular homes and set up shop. They invade infect reproduce and mutate at rates hundreds of thousands of times faster than plants or animals. They can destroy and re-infect again and again…
It would be intuitive to think that the most successful parasites would be those that caused no serious harm to their hosts much less killed them; thus, logic dictates that evolution would favour a benign parasite or especially a parasite that actually enhances its host’s ability to survive. This paradigm is indeed the case — but only as long as the parasite has incentive to do no harm. If viruses acquire the ability to easily and quickly pass from one host to another then this incentive is eliminated and the parasite is free to consume hosts as voraciously and as quickly as it wishes — the only impediment being that the host must live long enough for the virus to infect others.
While random mutation does not play nearly as prominent a rôle in evolution as Darwin originally thought, it plays a very important rôle nonetheless. Mutation acts on the gene sequence of DNA by deleting, inserting, trans¬posing, inverting, and rearranging the individual nucleotides that make up the chromosomes of every living organism and existing virus. And though muta¬tions are very rare, they occur with enough frequency and over a long enough period of time that they help create the changes needed for life to adapt and continue. Most of these changes are detrimental but the process is self-regu¬lating. Changes that are detrimental to survival die off; changes that enhance survival are more likely to survive and thus more likely to be passed on to future generations. But whether the change is lethal, beneficial, or neutral, all changes are the result of some form of random error in the process. Often these errors occur during DNA replication — however, more often than once thought, these errors are the result of physical and chemical factors in the envi¬ronment. ‘Mutagens’ alter the blocks of genes within a chromosome and often cause the mistakes that create the fuel for genetic change.
Enter Monsanto
During the last few decades humanity has been toying with and altering the basic building blocks of life in processes collec¬tively known as ‘genetic engineering’. Since these processes are mind-bogglingly complex and since humanity’s understanding of these processes is far from complete — if not downright rudimentary — then this tinkering is thought by many to be highly irresponsible.
In order to genetically alter a living organism genetic engineers first make a carrier, or a ‘vector’. They combine the gene that they wish to transfer with strands of DNA from viruses or bacteria adept at invading the targeted host. They construct these vectors not only to assure invasion of the host organism and insertion of the gene to its DNA but also to include bits of what is called ‘promoter DNA’, a segment that maximizes expression of the gene in its new host thereby guaranteeing the appearance of whatever desirable trait it carries. It is believed that naked strands of these man-made DNA vectors can subsequently escape intact from the host into the environment as a result of excretion, secretion, or cell death. It was once thought that these discarded entities were inert unless they were within a living cell or virus and that they would quickly break down once exposed to the elements. However, there is now evidence to the contrary showing that they can exist much longer in soil than previously expected. Other research indicates that they also have the capacity to infect species other than the intended host and incorporate their DNA into the genes of unintended targets.
Genetic engineers have always made a key assumption as they put a gene from one species into the DNA of another: That once it is inserted, a particular gene will act in the way it always has in its natural host.
Some recent work has shown that this is not so. How a gene behaves depends upon its context among other genes, and geneticists are now mixing genes that have never before been together.
Also, there is evidence that when an organism is genetically modified by the DNA of another species, the viruses, bacteria, and other parasites in the host organism are modified as well. The findings raise the possibility that these hitchhiker bugs — now carrying the DNA of synthetic vectors specifically designed to jump the species barrier — may acquire new virulence and the capacity to invade new species. The result could be that diseases now unique to one species may begin infecting other species, and since the new disease host has no antibodies with which to cope with the new pathogens, the results are very likely to be catastrophic. The Spanish Flu epidemic that killed 21 million people in 1918 may have arisen from a swine virus that adapted to humans. AIDS and Ebola are both thought to be monkey viruses that vaulted the species barrier.
Thus, if we modify the genes of a plant or animal there is abundant evidence that the altered genetic material will also pass to potential human viruses, bacteria, and/or parasites living on that host. There are also studies that suggest ordinary animals ingesting such genetically altered plants might acquire these same man-made strands of DNA. This is particularly worrisome when you consider animal species known to be reservoirs of human pathogens, such as deer with Lyme disease, rodents with Hantavirus, and cattle with Tuberculosis. We are providing these species — and their pathogens — with a DNA makeover.
Not only that: We are providing them with a makeover that contains mechanisms which have been specifi¬cally and intentionally given the ability to invade new species.
Ingested foreign DNA survives transiently in the gastrointestinal tract and then enters the bloodstream. From there it enters peripheral leukocytes, the spleen, the liver, and the gonads via intestinal wall mucosa; and thus we literally become what we eat.
While it is true that such exchanges have occurred naturally since life first formed, until now evolution and time have screened the DNA to which we have been exposed. Genetically altered foods, though, subject our systems to human-created strains of nucleic acids that have been specifically designed to be able to jump species barriers. This phenomenon is very likely to have long-term effects that are completely unknown and unpredictable. These artificial vectors may in fact be sidestepping a system of cheques and balances that has regulated such ‘jumps’ for hundreds of millions of years. The potential of significant mistakes causing catastrophic harm to humanity are staggering, especially when you consider that if such an error does occur then there is no taking it back. The fault would already be indelibly imprinted on the genome. There would be no alternative of recalling it or undoing it.
Nor would it end with the victim if the reproductive process is affected: If the host ever repro-duced, the changes would be passed on to the offspring.”
Someone may ask: “If we are completely ignorant of possible cata¬strophic side effects then why are these people allowed to continue?”
If you did, then I might rub my fingers together in the universal sign of money changing hands. “Simple,” I might say. “In the United States, money is more important than anything else, and the genetic engineering industry already grosses hundreds of billions of dollars. Rather than using the European model of with¬holding a product from the market until it has been proven safe, in America, we immediately place a new product on the market and then keep it there until it is proven unsafe. In the case of a product that is bringing in serious cash, a large portion of that cash is used to make sure that no such proof is ever forthcoming. Companies such as Monsanto have taken complete control of the debate by their usual method of buying politicians and journalists. Thus, inspired by the large sums of cash that they have placed into their campaigns, both Republicans and Democrats favour developing bioengineering technology at home as well as exporting it around the planet and they vigourously fight any attempts to control regulate or study it. They place millions into advertising the ‘miracles’ of genetic engi¬neering and they make sure that their pet journalists ignore all evidence to the contrary. When the safeties of their processes are credibly questioned they use the same defense as that once used by the tobacco companies and by the manufacturers of thalidomide: There is no proof that genetically modified organisms are in any way harmful to human health. That assertion is indeed true. There is no such proof. However, as tobacco and thalidomide proved, it is also true that a lack of proof that it is harmful does not mean that it is not harmful. Some scientists have replied to their argument with the seemingly obvious: That there has not been enough time and that there have not been enough studies to see what the possible side effects might be. And in fact, the industry does everything in their considerable power to make sure that no such studies will ever be conducted. For instance, scientists in Norway fed lab rats potatoes that had been genetically modified to produce lectin, a substance intended to increase the plant’s resistance to insects. The rats lost weight, the lectin bound itself to their white cells, and their T-cell counts went up, suggesting an immune response. The study has had critics, but both the scientists and most of their critics were adamant that further studies with better controls on variables were called for before the product was released into the food chain. Instead, the scientists were fired, no one attempted to repeat the study, and the editor of the journal that published the work became the victim of a concerted smear campaign financed largely by the manufacturers of GE food. (To her credit, the editor subsequently issued an eloquent rebuttal defending her deci¬sion ‘…to favour debate over the suppression of information.’)”
Yes. I favour debate over the suppression of information, especially when tinkering with the basic building blocks of life.
It’s time to get to work…
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1) FYI Section:
1A) News from KOWA!
Very exciting news from KOWA: Matt Fu has been working miracles down at KOWA 106.5 FM and streaming at http://kowalp.org/listen/ We now have a LOT of quality local programming and Matt is also working on the funding for increasing our signal strength se we can reach the whole metro area.
Here is a rough schedule of some of our local programming (subject to change):
Northwest Pour-Over
Open Mic with Olivia and Sarah
Airs Wednesday from 8 to 11 PM
Oly Oly Action
News and commentary with a calendar of activist events in Olympia
Airs 8 AM Friday and Saturday
Interference
Interference strives to connect local experiences with current global events and historical influence. This show will also strive to manifest the active and compassionate presence of the human spirit while interfering with the normalization of oppression and silence
Airs Thursdays and Sundays from 9 to 11 AM
Our Cascadian Airs
Regional news and public affairs stories
Airs Friday from 7 to 8 PM
Trynity Variety Hour
Featuring: Music, and is it music? And it’s not music. And noise potlucks. And autonomous expression taking on new and changing forms. And guests who know all about it. And the listener, maybe even you, waiting to speak to us and to be the voices escaping us.
Airs Monday from 2 to 4 PM
Ancient Perfume
Women’s reproductive health discussions
Airs Thursday from 7 to 9 PM
TuneIn Now!
Alternative Reality Melody Machine brings you a delicious mix of goth, steampunk, alternative, & experimental music
Airs Thursday night from 11PM to 1AM
We also feature Democracy Now!, Flashpoints, Free Speech Radio News, Hard Knock Radio, Counterspin, National Native News, Al Jazeera, Informativo Pacifico, the Corbett Report, and many other high-quality national news programs.
We also play music
Live streaming at http://www.kowalp.org
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1B) Backbone Campaign TPP Action Workshop
Register Now for Classes to be held June 14th thru June 16th
This from the Backbone Campaign:
Join Veteran Strategists and Expert Action Trainers for a Weekend of Action-Oriented Workshops, Skills Trainings, and Strategizing in Bellingham, WA June 14th-16th.
REGISTER TODAY!
TPP: Corporate Greed vs. Human Needs? – You Decide…
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will impact every one of us in the Pacific NW; as eaters, as workers and as people who care about healthy communities. It is a super-sized version of NAFTA, and after 20 years of corporate gains on the backs of workers and communities-we can’t afford more of the same.
TPP Action Camp offers a unique opportunity to come together, just before the TPP enters into its 18th Round of negotiations in July. A weekend to collectively strategize on how to best educate and activate our communities, as well as build the necessary skills. TPP resisters throughout the NW will emerge from TPP Action camp energized and inspired to lead the movement that will bring down the TPP! Join us!
TPP Action Camp is jointly organized by Occupy Bellingham, Oregon Fair Trade Campaign, TPPxBorder, the Washington Fair Trade Coalition, Backbone Campaign, with in-kind support from Laborers 276, and Mary Mullen.
Trainings and Workshops Offered (descriptions linked)
• Grand Strategy
• Non-Violent Direct Action
• Creative Tactics For Visibility and Building Power
• Strategic Campaign Planning & Avoiding Burn Out
• Strategy Session to Stop the TPP
• Action Planning
• Introduction to Blockades
• Giant Overpass Banner and Overpass Light Brigade Building
Cost: Sliding Scale $100-$150 (No one turned away because of lack of funds).
Make Organizing a Sustainable endeavor: The best organizers mobilize their community to invest in their work. If we really want to dethrone the corporate coup, we’ll need to honor our vocation and regard our work as valuable. One way of doing this is to muster the financial resources to support our collective work commensurate with the opposition we face and the efforts that it will take to bring into reality our vision for a more just world. Our costs are $100 – $150 per person. Please pitch in as much as you can afford. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Get creative with funding your participation and check out our tips for crowd funding HERE
If you have the means, PLEASE consider increasing your contribution to $200 or more in order to help us cover the cost of scholarships. If you cannot attend please help sponsor the attendance of other enthusiastic organizers by donating to scholarships. Contact the Backbone office if you have questions at 206-408-8058.
http://backbonecampaign.org/flushthetpp
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1C) Legislature Decapitating Low-Income Children with Budget Axe [Again]
This from the Children’s Alliance:
A dangerous and damaging bill for children—and for all of Washington—is being considered by your state legislators right now. As part of the negotiations for a two-year budget agreement, some legislators are pushing for a bill with much longer-term consequences.
Senate Bill 5895 would impose arbitrary and careless restrictions on future funding of health care and human services, including support for our elders, children, and people with disabilities.
Please ask your legislators to oppose Senate Bill 5895.
How bad is this bill? Here’s an example: During the Great Recession, nearly 100,000 of Washington’s children lost their health coverage when their parents lost their jobs. Fortunately, Apple Health for Kids was there to catch our kids before they fell, providing health coverage and preventive health care.
If Senate Bill 5895 was the law of the land four years ago, legislators would have been restricted from making the investments that allowed Apple Health for Kids to keep our children healthy.
Senate Bill 5895 would change the math for state budgeting. It would force our state to make budget choices based on a formula on paper, not on the real-life needs of our kids or our state.
Our children already face many challenges. Let’s not let this bad policy add another.
Thank you for speaking up for kids.
Sincerely,
Jon
Jon Gould
Deputy Director
P.S. This is a flawed idea. It failed in Colorado, where it caused the state to fall in national rankings of education, health care and public safety. Washington voters already rejected this failed policy approach in 2009 when we defeated a Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1033.
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1D) Update from Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
Everyone should have the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy, affordable home. But, if the Senate has their way, homelessness will double in Washington State.
If passed, the Senate budget will enact deep cuts to every affordable housing and homelessness program we have. Emergency shelters, youth shelters, domestic violence shelters, rent assistance, and more would be cut by 50%, and the Housing Trust Fund, funded by the Senate at just $35 million, would only be able to address a small fraction of the need.
The Senate budget also proposed 57% cuts to the successful Housing and Essential Needs program and eliminating the Aged, Blind, and Disabled program. These cuts will force disabled individuals onto the streets. We can’t let this happen.
Our lawmakers are in “special session” right now, and there is still time to ask them to invest in affordable homes and to protect the services that help people meet their most basic needs. The House Budget restored all the Senate’s cuts, while the Governor proposed a much deeper investment in the Housing Trust Fund at $65 million.
Please take action today to urge the House to stand strong on their Operating Budget, to ask the Senate to reconsider, and to tell them both to invest $65 million in the Housing Trust Fund. Tell them what it would mean to double the amount of people in your community who are experiencing homelessness. Tell them why that is unacceptable and why they have to enact revenue to prevent any more cuts. Your action, especially if you personalize it with your own thoughts, will make a significant difference!
Thank you for standing up,
Michele
Michele Thomas, Director of Policy and Advocacy
Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
206.442.9455 x205 | wliha.org | fb @wliha | tw /wliha
Our vision is that all Washington residents have the opportunity to live in safe, healthy, affordable homes in thriving communities. Help us make this vision a reality: click here to donate.
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2) 3RD WVWV Phosphorescence Mini-Tour with iji, Eleanor Murray, Freaky Pup & Guests!
Friday May 30th at 8 PM @ the Hot Tub House, 1202 State St
This is activist self-care. Come hear performance art from Bellingham, Seattle, and Olympia.
This from the organizers:
Abstract: Artists performing these all-ages shows in Seattle, Bellingham & Olympia are iji, Eleanor Murray, Freaky Pup (Jasmine from Rat Riot), Briana Marela, Garrett and a couple more TBA.
From May 31st through June 2nd we are happy to present to you the THIRD WAV3 of Phosphorescence, a new monthly concert series bringing artists from the NW cities of Bellingham, Seattle & Olympia on a short 3-day tour of their hometowns together. The aim of the series is to foster shared essence across the divide of geographic miles & to further connect and cross-breed the beautiful energies & creativity of our friends in & around the vibrant, salty Puget Sound. It’s important that we get out there & visit more with our neighbors, right?
All Shows for the TH3RD WAVE are with these northwest jewels:
iji (Seattle) http://www.dogvibrations.com/
Eleanor Murray (Olympia) http://eleanormurray.com/
Freaky Pup (Bellingham) http://freakypup.bandcamp.com/
and along to ride this wave is 3 veteran friends of the New American Underground playing some configuration of each others music together in short-set format:
Tony Presley (Austin, TX) http://reallivetigers.com/
Super Famicom (St Augustine, FL) http://superfamicom.bandcamp.com/
Dustin & The Furniture (Asheville, NC)
http://dustinandthefurniture.bandcamp.com/
DETAILS FOR THE SHOWS ACROSS OUR PUGET SOUND:
Friday May 30th at The Hot Tub House (Olympia, WA)
at 8pm at 1202 State St (all-ages / $3-5 sugg donation / no jerks)
with Garrett
Saturday June 1st at The Peach (Bellingham, WA)
at 7pm at 1628 James St (all-ages / $3-5 sugg donation / no jerks)
with Karl Blau or Lovers Without Borders
Sunday June 2nd at Hollow Earth Radio (Seattle, WA)
at 7pm at 2018 E Union St. (all-ages / $5 sugg donation / broadcast online!)
with Briana Marela ( http://www.brianamarela.com/ )
https://www.facebook.com/events/375476612571221/
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3) Green Party of South Puget Sound Coordinating Council
Saturday June 1st at 7 PM Upstairs Above Bucks 5th Avenue, 209 5th Ave
Come help subvert the dominant paradigm again. (It needs all it can get.)
This from Janet:
The Coordinating Council of the Green Party of South Puget Sound is meeting this Saturday at 7:00 at Buck’s 5th Avenue.
This is the working (action) committee of the local Green Party but all are invited if they want to get to work.
Janet
—
Janet Jordan
janetjordan@fastmail.fm
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4) Joe Cappocia and Miles Nowlin @ the Pig Bar
Saturday June 1st at 8:30 PM @ the South Bay Pig Bar, 619 Legion Way SE
It’s more revolutionary music! Come to the unfortunately-named “Pig Bar” to see some good stuff and eat some of whatever it is that you eat. (Since this is Olympia I’ll assume they have vegetarian and vegan options.) (Or with a name like the “Pig Bar” then maybe not.)
https://www.facebook.com/events/527599140637997/
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5) Bradley Manning Support March in Seattle
Saturday June 1st @ Westlake Park, 4th and Pine, Seattle, 98104
I don’t usually promote Seattle stuff but this is important. Private Manning’s trial starts the following Monday.
This from the organizers:
Bradley Manning Support March
Organizer Email: info@vfp92.org
Organizer Phone #: 206 499-0226
When: 01/06/2013, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
https://orders.bradleymanning.org/support_events/bradley-manning-support-march-2
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6) Media Island/ Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace Benefit Brunch
Sunday June 2nd from 11 AM to 2 PM @ Media Island, 816 Adams St SE
This month Media Island is teaming up with the OMJP for the monthly brunch. Come eat good food, meet good people, and plug into the Olympia activist community.
This from the organizers:
On Sunday, June 2nd, 2013, Media Island is hosting our monthly brunch in support of the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace (OMJP).
OMJP is committed to building a mass movement to further justice and peace. We believe that the issues of justice and peace cannot be separated, and that by furthering economic and social justice we create the conditions for a peaceful world. Our long term goal is to build a society that meets the needs of all people, not one based on profit and economic values.
OMJP actively supports movements that challenge corporate-sponsored globalization, and those that further racial, gender and economic equality. Our efforts are focused on working in solidarilty and in coalition with individuals and groups on a local, regional, national, and global level. To achieve our goals, our principle tactics will be popular education, active protest, and direct action.
Media Island International (MII) is a resource and networking center for individuals, organizations and movements working on social justice, economic democracy, ecological sustainability and peace. We gather, evaluate and distribute under-published information on critical issues at strategic times.
https://www.facebook.com/events/613771011968931/
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7) Really Really Free Market
Sunday June 2nd from 2 to 5 PM @ Sylvester Park, Capitol Way and Legion Downtown
The Really Really Free Market is back in non-business! Come subvert the dominant paradigm — again!
This from the organizers:
Community gathering
Bring, and give away absolutely free, any usable items, skills, ideas, smiles, talents, friendship, excitement, discussions, games and many others things that we as a community can come together and share.
100% free and non-commercial event.
Temporary autonomous zone instituting the gift economy as an alternative to the capitalist mode of resource distribution.
An ethos and a way of being that transforms people through its experience and is then carried into other areas of life.
https://www.facebook.com/events/334095533384642/
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8) Mother Earth News Fair
Sunday June 2nd
9 AM to 7 PM @ Washington State Fair Events Center, 110 9th Ave. SW, Puyallup, 98371
Come learn to live sustainably!
This from the organizers:
Mother Earth News Fair
Date: Sunday, June 2, 2013
Time: 9AM – 7PM
Location: Washington State Fair Events Center
110 9th Ave. SW
Puyallup, WA 98371
The Mother Earth News Fair is a fun-filled, family-oriented sustainable lifestyle event that features practical, hands-on demos and workshops:
• Renewable energy
• Small-scale agriculture
• Gardening
• Green building and more
Come check out all the latest and greatest in homesteading, renewable energy, and more. Speakers include Ed Begely Jr. and our Kirk Haffner. Get your tickets now!
We hand-select local and national exhibitors to bring you the best in:
• Organic food and drink
• Books and magazines
• Tools and seeds
• Clothing and more
The Puyallup Fairgrounds are located 35 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles east of Tacoma in the shadow of Mount Rainier.
HOURS
Saturday Fair hours: 9:00 AM-7:00 PM
Sunday Fair hours: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
http://www.motherearthnews.com/fair/washington.aspx#axzz2TW9V519n
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9) POWER Outage: Peer-Review and the Art of the Writing Process
Monday June 3rd, Potluck at 5:30 PM, Workshop from 6 to 8 PM
Darby’s Café, 211 5th Ave (Childcare Provided)
Come hone your writing skills with some pros! I know I’ll be there!
This from the organizers:
We are writing up a storm here at POWER. I hope you can join us for June’s POWER Outage for a very special writing workshop:
Peer-Review and the Art of the Writing Process
A writing workshop with Ben Chassler Lucal and Dr. Sandra Yannone of the Writing Center at The Evergreen State College.
– Enhance your unique writing process.
– Discover the secrets for giving -and receiving- helpful feedback.
– Learn to speed up by slowing down.
In this interactive workshop Ben Chassler Lucal and Dr. Sandra Yannone will offer effective tools to enrich your writer’s toobox. In addition, they’ll share successful peer-review strategies used by writing tutors across the globe.
POWER Outage Monday, June 3rd at Darby’s Café, 211 5th Avenue
As always, POWER Outage starts at 5:30 with a potluck meal. The writing workshop will be from 6 – 8 pm with childcare at the POWER office, 309 5th Avenue SE in downtown Olympia
POWER is an organization of low-income parents and allies advocating for a strong social safety net while working toward a world where children and care giving are truly valued, and the devastation of poverty has been eradicated.
Questions? Contact Parents Organizing For Welfare and Economic Rights
360-352-9716 toll free 866-343-9716
monica@mamapower.org
Find us on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/events/322242294575844/
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10) Bonus Tip of the Day:
Don’t mess with Mother Nature.
Peace.
Dana
The Thunderbolt 