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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Phill Kline – the pest that won’t go away
Will someone please tell Phill Kline he lost the election for Kansas Attorney General? Despite having no legal credentials when he was the attorney general, he continues to pursue legal action against all the abortion providers in the state of Kansas.
The public voted him out because they were tired of his endless witch hunts and his neglect of the office to chase after legal doctors and yet he continues to cause legal problems with the same groundless accusation he used before he lost the election. He still has the solid support of the wacko Christians on the right to encourage him. He is becoming a parasite on the Kansas legal system. - 史蒂夫 奥多
A Wichita Eagle Editorial:
Oct. 27, 2007
Kline crusade goes national
Most Johnson County voters must cringe at how their unelected district attorney, Phill Kline, continues to use that public office as a stage for his anti-abortion melodramas.
In a recent 107-count indictment, Kline charged Planned Parenthood with providing illegal late-term abortions and failing to keep proper records, among other alleged offenses.
A court will decide whether those charges have any merit.
But Kline's relentless campaign, reports conservative syndicated columnist Robert Novak, has inspired national anti-abortion leaders to "open a new front in the endless abortion wars," with Planned Parenthood as the target.
They are pressing Congress to withhold more than $300 million in federal funds from Planned Parenthood until the results of Kline's indictments are known. That represents about one-third of the organization's budget, money it can legally use only for family planning services other than abortion.
-KS
The public voted him out because they were tired of his endless witch hunts and his neglect of the office to chase after legal doctors and yet he continues to cause legal problems with the same groundless accusation he used before he lost the election. He still has the solid support of the wacko Christians on the right to encourage him. He is becoming a parasite on the Kansas legal system. - 史蒂夫 奥多
A Wichita Eagle Editorial: Oct. 27, 2007
Kline crusade goes national
Most Johnson County voters must cringe at how their unelected district attorney, Phill Kline, continues to use that public office as a stage for his anti-abortion melodramas.
In a recent 107-count indictment, Kline charged Planned Parenthood with providing illegal late-term abortions and failing to keep proper records, among other alleged offenses.
A court will decide whether those charges have any merit.
But Kline's relentless campaign, reports conservative syndicated columnist Robert Novak, has inspired national anti-abortion leaders to "open a new front in the endless abortion wars," with Planned Parenthood as the target.
They are pressing Congress to withhold more than $300 million in federal funds from Planned Parenthood until the results of Kline's indictments are known. That represents about one-third of the organization's budget, money it can legally use only for family planning services other than abortion.
-KS
Monday, October 29, 2007
For a look inside Iraq
For some time I have encouraged support of the Marxist-Leninist-Revolutionaries (MLR) of IRAQ, of which I have a link on my page. Their page is in Arabic, but can be translated by Google. They seem to be a supporter of the Revolutionary International Movement and are able to provide a Marxist view from inside Iraq. The following correspondence came from
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION, or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/maoist_revolution/
of which I also have a link in my blog. Some of this was clearly written by a non-English speaking person. I do consider the (MLR) of IRAQ to be a good source of information and an organization that may be able to make a difference in that couny.
"Dear Comrade revolutionary greeting from Iraq the land of the death",
Further to the current debate on positions on the resistance in Iraq and Afghanistan, in August 2006 I asked a comrade in Iraq for his views on this matter and his reply is below. He suggests that most of the armed actions of the Baathist and Islamic groups are not against the occupation forces. If this is the case then what has been achieved against the imperialist armies is all the more remarkable. It might be useful for comrades who know Arabic to look at the www.iraqmlr. org site to see if it has any more up to date information.
* * *
Dear Comrade , revolutionary greeting from Iraq ( the land of the death ) first of all we are against the occupation of our country and any other country , we are against Ammarica and Britian imperialism and thier occupation .......
2nd we stand against the shanefull action of the so called communist party of Iraq when it discided the phony power that made in Iraq as pseudogovermant by imperialists , and it was not surroprising to us when such behaviour from such derty party which support the Baath Fascism in 1973 and till now .
3.regard the position from the anti-imperialic resistant , first we have to diffine the term : to us the anti-imperialic resistant is the ARMED attach which directed against the imperialic POWERS which invade the country aiming TO LIBRATE the country and LBRATE the people : the anti-imperialic resistant MUST resist for being IRAQI power NOT FOR BEING Shiaa or Sinna Mosalem it MUST AIMED to librate the country not to achieve Sinna or Shiaa state ............
4.The terorism to us mean kill and attack the civilians which almost of them are anti-invation ............
Our opinion about your answer here is the same of that of the www.iraqmlr. org
although we are disagree with them with many piont ( please review my article on them that posted in the group ) : we are with any armed action directed against the imperialism and it's force and not against the civilians for just being Shyaa or Sinna ........ and we are very sorry for being unable to be part from such nonterorist armedactivities because now we are very very weak ........
Regard the Baathists we are agree with the www.iraqmlr. org that the Baathists [which responsible for distroy the communist movement in Iraq and there derty hands were and still responsible to kill 497111 (1/2 million) Iraqi communists in 1963 including the sexual raping of 100000 of communist girles in Iraq at tht black years ....] are no more than Fascist party and they do not fight against imperialist to librate the country but just to return to the absilute power and I say the absilute because most of them are kept by imperialist on thier prevous level and we look for there military activities very well and we found that they attack the civilians for being just Shyaa eg last bomb in Kufa against the poor workers. They not attack the Ammericans and the Britishs ............ just make crawol between the Shiaa and Sinna .........
SO WE ARE ADAINST THE BAATHISTS BECAUSE THEY ARE TALL FOR IMPERIALISM ..........
Regards the Islamic resistance : only 2 % of them work to fight imperialism just for being pateriotics or nationalist not for being Sinna or Shyaa ..........the remender about 98% of them they as for the Baathist do not attack the imperialism powers which run freely in Iraq streets but instade they attack the civilians for just being Shyaa or Sinna ..........Also for your knowligmant the Baathists and the Islamics Kill till now about 175 Iraqi communists ( anti-imoerialic communists ) : some of them kill by Baathists other by Shyaa Islamics other by Sinna Islamics .........this from our orgonisation , and there are 2 members of www.iraqmlr. org have been killed as they say in thier web media in article still exist in thier web site till now but just in arabic .... killed in Sammara by group commposed of both Baathists and Wahaaby Moslims ...........
For your knowligmant comrade the Wahhaby Moslims buy the communist and the progressive books from the streets and the shops and collect them and burn them, do you belive that comrade? Also for your knowligmant that the Islamics try to give the mony for the shops of newspapers so as to prevent the distribution of any bolshofest newspaper to the peoples. so comrade how we can support them .........
In sammery we are with any ARMED activity which attack the invaders and aimed to librate the country , but we are against any action against the civilians for just being Sinna or Shyaa . We do not say that all the Islamic are Fascists : there are certinly many them resist for just being Iraqies and direct thier wepons against the invaders and we support such resistant but unfortuantly they are just 2%.......Do you belive me comrade if I tall you that they attack the hospitales and kill both the patients and the doctors , they are rarely attack the invaders who wonder freely in Baghdad ......
Please vist www.iraqmlr. org and try to translate the news that present in thier media
Comradely
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION, or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/maoist_revolution/
of which I also have a link in my blog. Some of this was clearly written by a non-English speaking person. I do consider the (MLR) of IRAQ to be a good source of information and an organization that may be able to make a difference in that couny.
"Dear Comrade revolutionary greeting from Iraq the land of the death",
Further to the current debate on positions on the resistance in Iraq and Afghanistan, in August 2006 I asked a comrade in Iraq for his views on this matter and his reply is below. He suggests that most of the armed actions of the Baathist and Islamic groups are not against the occupation forces. If this is the case then what has been achieved against the imperialist armies is all the more remarkable. It might be useful for comrades who know Arabic to look at the www.iraqmlr. org site to see if it has any more up to date information.
* * *
Dear Comrade , revolutionary greeting from Iraq ( the land of the death ) first of all we are against the occupation of our country and any other country , we are against Ammarica and Britian imperialism and thier occupation .......
2nd we stand against the shanefull action of the so called communist party of Iraq when it discided the phony power that made in Iraq as pseudogovermant by imperialists , and it was not surroprising to us when such behaviour from such derty party which support the Baath Fascism in 1973 and till now .
3.regard the position from the anti-imperialic resistant , first we have to diffine the term : to us the anti-imperialic resistant is the ARMED attach which directed against the imperialic POWERS which invade the country aiming TO LIBRATE the country and LBRATE the people : the anti-imperialic resistant MUST resist for being IRAQI power NOT FOR BEING Shiaa or Sinna Mosalem it MUST AIMED to librate the country not to achieve Sinna or Shiaa state ............
4.The terorism to us mean kill and attack the civilians which almost of them are anti-invation ............
Our opinion about your answer here is the same of that of the www.iraqmlr. org
although we are disagree with them with many piont ( please review my article on them that posted in the group ) : we are with any armed action directed against the imperialism and it's force and not against the civilians for just being Shyaa or Sinna ........ and we are very sorry for being unable to be part from such nonterorist armedactivities because now we are very very weak ........
Regard the Baathists we are agree with the www.iraqmlr. org that the Baathists [which responsible for distroy the communist movement in Iraq and there derty hands were and still responsible to kill 497111 (1/2 million) Iraqi communists in 1963 including the sexual raping of 100000 of communist girles in Iraq at tht black years ....] are no more than Fascist party and they do not fight against imperialist to librate the country but just to return to the absilute power and I say the absilute because most of them are kept by imperialist on thier prevous level and we look for there military activities very well and we found that they attack the civilians for being just Shyaa eg last bomb in Kufa against the poor workers. They not attack the Ammericans and the Britishs ............ just make crawol between the Shiaa and Sinna .........
SO WE ARE ADAINST THE BAATHISTS BECAUSE THEY ARE TALL FOR IMPERIALISM ..........
Regards the Islamic resistance : only 2 % of them work to fight imperialism just for being pateriotics or nationalist not for being Sinna or Shyaa ..........the remender about 98% of them they as for the Baathist do not attack the imperialism powers which run freely in Iraq streets but instade they attack the civilians for just being Shyaa or Sinna ..........Also for your knowligmant the Baathists and the Islamics Kill till now about 175 Iraqi communists ( anti-imoerialic communists ) : some of them kill by Baathists other by Shyaa Islamics other by Sinna Islamics .........this from our orgonisation , and there are 2 members of www.iraqmlr. org have been killed as they say in thier web media in article still exist in thier web site till now but just in arabic .... killed in Sammara by group commposed of both Baathists and Wahaaby Moslims ...........
For your knowligmant comrade the Wahhaby Moslims buy the communist and the progressive books from the streets and the shops and collect them and burn them, do you belive that comrade? Also for your knowligmant that the Islamics try to give the mony for the shops of newspapers so as to prevent the distribution of any bolshofest newspaper to the peoples. so comrade how we can support them .........
In sammery we are with any ARMED activity which attack the invaders and aimed to librate the country , but we are against any action against the civilians for just being Sinna or Shyaa . We do not say that all the Islamic are Fascists : there are certinly many them resist for just being Iraqies and direct thier wepons against the invaders and we support such resistant but unfortuantly they are just 2%.......Do you belive me comrade if I tall you that they attack the hospitales and kill both the patients and the doctors , they are rarely attack the invaders who wonder freely in Baghdad ......
Please vist www.iraqmlr. org and try to translate the news that present in thier media
Comradely
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Abortionist Tiller gets a break
Win one for George Tiller (“the Killer” as he is known to his enemies, the wacko Christian-right).
His opponents have tried every trick known to political activist to put him out of the abortion business, in Wichita, KS, and so far all efforts have failed. He has been nationally demonized by nearly every anti-abortion out fit. Now he has bought time from a grand jury effort to take him to court. Antis are using the ability of citizens to file charges and use petitions to attack businesses they don’t like. Some time ago, the anti-pornography group Operation SouthWind gathered enough signatures on petitions to convene a grand jury to investigate local sex shops. They had little luck and they may get noting out of continuing to harass Tiller. So far their efforts have hit a snag.
According to the local Wichita Eagle:
The Wichita Eagle, Oct. 27, 2007
Grand jury on Tiller is blocked
BY HURST LAVIANA
The Wichita Eagle
The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday blocked plans to seat a grand jury next week to investigate the activities of Wichita abortion provider George Tiller.
"We will not start a grand jury on Tuesday as scheduled," Sedgwick County Chief Judge Michael Corrigan said.
Corrigan said the Supreme Court granted an indefinite stay in the proceedings so it can consider a variety of legal issues raised in a legal petition filed by Tiller's attorneys.
The order by Chief Justice Kay McFarland said it was issued "by virtue of the unique circumstances of this case and to allow full consideration of the petition."
Anti-abortion groups forced Sedgwick County to call a grand jury to investigate Tiller by collecting nearly 7,900 signatures on a petition accusing him of
violating a 1998 law that restricts late-term abortions.Tiller's attorneys repeatedly have denied the allegations
-KS
His opponents have tried every trick known to political activist to put him out of the abortion business, in Wichita, KS, and so far all efforts have failed. He has been nationally demonized by nearly every anti-abortion out fit. Now he has bought time from a grand jury effort to take him to court. Antis are using the ability of citizens to file charges and use petitions to attack businesses they don’t like. Some time ago, the anti-pornography group Operation SouthWind gathered enough signatures on petitions to convene a grand jury to investigate local sex shops. They had little luck and they may get noting out of continuing to harass Tiller. So far their efforts have hit a snag.
According to the local Wichita Eagle:
The Wichita Eagle, Oct. 27, 2007
Grand jury on Tiller is blocked
BY HURST LAVIANA
The Wichita Eagle
The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday blocked plans to seat a grand jury next week to investigate the activities of Wichita abortion provider George Tiller.
"We will not start a grand jury on Tuesday as scheduled," Sedgwick County Chief Judge Michael Corrigan said.
Corrigan said the Supreme Court granted an indefinite stay in the proceedings so it can consider a variety of legal issues raised in a legal petition filed by Tiller's attorneys.
The order by Chief Justice Kay McFarland said it was issued "by virtue of the unique circumstances of this case and to allow full consideration of the petition."
Anti-abortion groups forced Sedgwick County to call a grand jury to investigate Tiller by collecting nearly 7,900 signatures on a petition accusing him of
violating a 1998 law that restricts late-term abortions.Tiller's attorneys repeatedly have denied the allegations
-KSThursday, October 25, 2007
The Dalai Lama sucks.
It seems I’m not alone with my criticism of the Dalia Lama. According to the news agency Hindu IANS the press in Nepal, Maoist of the CPN(M) made strong criticism of the Dalai Lama and to the imperialist powers who dream of restoring feudalism in Tibet.
Maoist leader Comrade Prachanda criticized the intention of reopening the office of the Dalai Lama in the capital closed on the orders of King Gyanendra.
From:
Kathmandu, 18.10.07 Según informa la agencia hindu IANS la prensa maoísta en Nepal hace fuertes criticas al Dalai Lama y a las potencias imperialistas que sueñan con reinstaurar el feudalismo en el Tibet.
El Jhanadisha Daily recoge unas declaraciones del maximo dirigente maoísta camarada Prachanda donde se critica la intención de reabrir las oficinas del Dalai Lama en la capital, cerradas por orden del monarca Gyanendra.
Boletín informativo do Comite Galego de Solidariedade co Nepal
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION
Maoist leader Comrade Prachanda criticized the intention of reopening the office of the Dalai Lama in the capital closed on the orders of King Gyanendra.
From:
Kathmandu, 18.10.07 Según informa la agencia hindu IANS la prensa maoísta en Nepal hace fuertes criticas al Dalai Lama y a las potencias imperialistas que sueñan con reinstaurar el feudalismo en el Tibet.
El Jhanadisha Daily recoge unas declaraciones del maximo dirigente maoísta camarada Prachanda donde se critica la intención de reabrir las oficinas del Dalai Lama en la capital, cerradas por orden del monarca Gyanendra.
Boletín informativo do Comite Galego de Solidariedade co Nepal
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION
"Monks are parasites" - Ankar
លោកសង្ឃជាព្រូនសដ្ដម - អដ្ដកា
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Samhein.- The ancient holiday stolen by modern society
Halloween is my favorite time of the year. It was the most important of the Ancient Celt holidays also known as Samhein.
It was the celebration of the fall harvest, but it was also the night of the dead, where the spirits could cross over and visit the living.
I enjoy making my favorite holiday brew; a gallon cider fermented with a handful of wormwood, three pumpkin flowers and of course, yeast.
Then there’s the incense that I love so well, wormwood mixed with moon flower, AKA jimsonweed. As a mild incense it is not a powerful hallucinogenic. It just gives a mild head buzz.
It was the celebration of the fall harvest, but it was also the night of the dead, where the spirits could cross over and visit the living.
I enjoy making my favorite holiday brew; a gallon cider fermented with a handful of wormwood, three pumpkin flowers and of course, yeast.
Then there’s the incense that I love so well, wormwood mixed with moon flower, AKA jimsonweed. As a mild incense it is not a powerful hallucinogenic. It just gives a mild head buzz.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Benazir is a stupid women
From [communistpartyofpakistan] Benazir Bhutto and tales of Corruption
By S Turkman
Benazir is a stupid women. She always believed that USA had made her become Prime Minister at such a young age the 1st time it happened. The 2nd time she was ousted, she had accused USA for her demise but kept begging USA to re-install her and had hired a Washington Lobbying Firm a couple of years later paying millions of dollars to it every year. This time she has promised to do everything for USA despite that she knows, she can't. She is a cunning liar. She would sell Pakistan to anybody interested for money.
Pakistanis would be fools if they believe in such a conniving corrupt money swindler and vote her in. I'm not sure, she can even win a majority in even her Home Province, Sindh in an Ethnically Divided country. Its a shameful act of USA that forced Pres. Musharraf to withdraw all the Criminal Cases against such a convicted Criminal. I hope, he is not going to change the rules and let her run for Prime Minister for the 3rd time. She shouldn't be allowed to run for any Public Office anyway because she has no 4 year College Degree that is a must by new laws.In 1997, using Numerology, I had predicted that she would not become Prime Minister again and I always stand by my predictions. I have not been proven wrong since 1968 proving the Political Pundits wrong again and again. Read my 'Worldwide Predictions for 2008' based on Astrology in 'Zanjaani JunTri 2008', Lahore, Pakistan (in Urdu Language) coming up ...!In it, I have predicted, there could be an Al Qaeda Attack or something stupid happening in USA around 5th of November, 2008. You would remember me, when this happens.
By S Turkman
Benazir is a stupid women. She always believed that USA had made her become Prime Minister at such a young age the 1st time it happened. The 2nd time she was ousted, she had accused USA for her demise but kept begging USA to re-install her and had hired a Washington Lobbying Firm a couple of years later paying millions of dollars to it every year. This time she has promised to do everything for USA despite that she knows, she can't. She is a cunning liar. She would sell Pakistan to anybody interested for money.
Pakistanis would be fools if they believe in such a conniving corrupt money swindler and vote her in. I'm not sure, she can even win a majority in even her Home Province, Sindh in an Ethnically Divided country. Its a shameful act of USA that forced Pres. Musharraf to withdraw all the Criminal Cases against such a convicted Criminal. I hope, he is not going to change the rules and let her run for Prime Minister for the 3rd time. She shouldn't be allowed to run for any Public Office anyway because she has no 4 year College Degree that is a must by new laws.In 1997, using Numerology, I had predicted that she would not become Prime Minister again and I always stand by my predictions. I have not been proven wrong since 1968 proving the Political Pundits wrong again and again. Read my 'Worldwide Predictions for 2008' based on Astrology in 'Zanjaani JunTri 2008', Lahore, Pakistan (in Urdu Language) coming up ...!In it, I have predicted, there could be an Al Qaeda Attack or something stupid happening in USA around 5th of November, 2008. You would remember me, when this happens.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Is change coming?
How much have things changed since I was 18 years old?
We all thought Marijuana would be legal by the time we were 30.
Abortion was legal and we assumed it was going to stay that way.
We though the end of the Vietnam War would bring on an error of peace.
We believed the massive military, our nuclear weapons and NATO were needed to protect us against the Soviet Union.
Fast forward:
It's 2007
Drug laws are tougher than ever.
Abortion is under attack with constant legal tricks by right-wing Christian-nut jobs.
By 1980, we had a president sending troops and weapons to Central America to fight against revolutionary Democratic Socialists. We protested against the war for nearly a decade and in the end, the revolutionaries gained very little.
The Soviet Union fell. We now have the largest military spending budget in history, NATO has expanded and we still have the same arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Probably the biggest canker sores, in my life time, has been these little wars. We lost Vietnam, yet we keep getting into wars in small third world countries. Grenada over communism, Panama over drug dealing and now our second war in Iraq and this one has been going on for years. There's no reason to believe this country will see peace and prosperity in the near future. We seem to go from one war to the next.
So will there be change in my life time? At my age I don't hold my breath. However, change may come some day as a country that uses most of the worlds resources for less than 20 percent of the Earths population, uses military might with out hesitation to get what it wants, and destroys the environment for short term gains, is bound for destruction. The question is simply when will it happen and it probably won't happen in the near future.
If I were 20 today, I would look forward to the day when this house of cards simply falls down. But I may not live long enough to see it. And when those cards fall, there's no guarantee the left will triumph. We may end up with a system even more idiotic than this one.
In the meantime, I'm left to survive and work in a hostile environment, with an uncertain future, wondering if the far left or anyone on the left can figure out how to make a difference.
Change is coming, but will I personally see it?
We all thought Marijuana would be legal by the time we were 30.
Abortion was legal and we assumed it was going to stay that way.
We though the end of the Vietnam War would bring on an error of peace.
We believed the massive military, our nuclear weapons and NATO were needed to protect us against the Soviet Union.
Fast forward:
It's 2007
Drug laws are tougher than ever.
Abortion is under attack with constant legal tricks by right-wing Christian-nut jobs.
By 1980, we had a president sending troops and weapons to Central America to fight against revolutionary Democratic Socialists. We protested against the war for nearly a decade and in the end, the revolutionaries gained very little.
The Soviet Union fell. We now have the largest military spending budget in history, NATO has expanded and we still have the same arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Probably the biggest canker sores, in my life time, has been these little wars. We lost Vietnam, yet we keep getting into wars in small third world countries. Grenada over communism, Panama over drug dealing and now our second war in Iraq and this one has been going on for years. There's no reason to believe this country will see peace and prosperity in the near future. We seem to go from one war to the next.
So will there be change in my life time? At my age I don't hold my breath. However, change may come some day as a country that uses most of the worlds resources for less than 20 percent of the Earths population, uses military might with out hesitation to get what it wants, and destroys the environment for short term gains, is bound for destruction. The question is simply when will it happen and it probably won't happen in the near future.
If I were 20 today, I would look forward to the day when this house of cards simply falls down. But I may not live long enough to see it. And when those cards fall, there's no guarantee the left will triumph. We may end up with a system even more idiotic than this one.
In the meantime, I'm left to survive and work in a hostile environment, with an uncertain future, wondering if the far left or anyone on the left can figure out how to make a difference.
Change is coming, but will I personally see it?
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Freedom – yes –Theocracy NO!
Once again, the US is fawning over the Dalai Lama, as if he were some symbol of Freedom. In reality, China probably doesn't really need Tibet, but the Dalai Lama is a symbol for Buddhist Theocracy. As with Israel and all the other Moslem Countries in the world, we don't need any more theocracies. Secular governments are the governments of the future. We should embrace that.
AP
Bush praises Dalai Lama as peace symbol
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush, raising Beijing's ire, presented the Dalai Lama on Wednesday with the U.S. Congress' highest civilian honor and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing.
The exiled spiritual head of Tibet's Buddhists by his side, Bush praised a man he called a "universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd of the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people."
"Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away," Bush said at the U.S. Capitol building, where he personally handed the Dalai Lama the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal.
The Dalai Lama, chuckling as he stumbled over his remarks in English, said the award will bring "tremendous joy and encouragement to the Tibetan people" and he thanked Bush for his "firm stand on religious freedom and democracy."
He said he supports the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the hopes China would become a more open and tolerant country. He also addressed Chinese suspicions of his advocacy for Tibet, saying, "I have no hidden agenda."
"Monks are the tapeworms gnawing out the bowels of society" – CPK
APBush praises Dalai Lama as peace symbol
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush, raising Beijing's ire, presented the Dalai Lama on Wednesday with the U.S. Congress' highest civilian honor and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing.
The exiled spiritual head of Tibet's Buddhists by his side, Bush praised a man he called a "universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd of the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people."
"Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away," Bush said at the U.S. Capitol building, where he personally handed the Dalai Lama the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal.
The Dalai Lama, chuckling as he stumbled over his remarks in English, said the award will bring "tremendous joy and encouragement to the Tibetan people" and he thanked Bush for his "firm stand on religious freedom and democracy."
He said he supports the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the hopes China would become a more open and tolerant country. He also addressed Chinese suspicions of his advocacy for Tibet, saying, "I have no hidden agenda."
"Monks are the tapeworms gnawing out the bowels of society" – CPKWednesday, October 17, 2007
Ann Coulter - so who is the hate monger?
-史蒂夫 奥多
Some people have accused some factions of the left for being hateful of the system for even treasonous. But that looks no worse than the hate speech that spews our of Ann Coulters mouth:
Herritz.com
By Bradley Burston
From time to time, particularly in the wake of schoolyard shootings, failing markets, failing wars, failing administrations and the like, Americans take pause to take stock, wondering what's at the bottom of the malaise that afflicts their beloved, chronically clueless nation. What is it, really, that's wrong with America? If we're taking nominations, I'd like to open the bidding with Ann Coulter.
You may know her as the acerbic, not to say verbally abusive, syndicated columnist whose bare-knuckles conservative punditry raises hackles and ratings across the cable news spectrum. This month, Coulter waded into the mess first made by Republican White House hopeful John McCain, when he referred to America as a nation founded on the principles of Christianity, indicating that he would prefer to see a fellow Christian in the White House. Barely a week after McCain's comments, Coulter told an exasperated Jewish talk-show host that in her dreams, heaven - for that matter, America - is a place where everyone is Christian. Where would the Jews have gone?
She went on to explain that that Jews needed to convert to Christians in order to be "perfected," noting that Christians have a "fast track" to God. Appearing on CNBC's The Big Idea, hosted by Donny Deutsch, Coulter was asked what America would look like if she had her way.
"It would look like New York City during the [2004] Republican National Convention," Coulter replied. "In fact, that's what I think heaven is going to look like." Asked to expand on the theme, Coulter said "People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America."
Deutsch, growing at once incredulous and offended, responded
"So we should be Christian? It would be better if we were all Christian?" to which Coulter answered with a simple yes, later inviting Deutsch to attend church with her.
DEUTSCH: We should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then?
COULTER: Yeah.
史蒂夫: If that's her idea of heaven, I'll take hell.
Some people have accused some factions of the left for being hateful of the system for even treasonous. But that looks no worse than the hate speech that spews our of Ann Coulters mouth:
Herritz.com
By Bradley Burston
From time to time, particularly in the wake of schoolyard shootings, failing markets, failing wars, failing administrations and the like, Americans take pause to take stock, wondering what's at the bottom of the malaise that afflicts their beloved, chronically clueless nation. What is it, really, that's wrong with America? If we're taking nominations, I'd like to open the bidding with Ann Coulter.
You may know her as the acerbic, not to say verbally abusive, syndicated columnist whose bare-knuckles conservative punditry raises hackles and ratings across the cable news spectrum. This month, Coulter waded into the mess first made by Republican White House hopeful John McCain, when he referred to America as a nation founded on the principles of Christianity, indicating that he would prefer to see a fellow Christian in the White House. Barely a week after McCain's comments, Coulter told an exasperated Jewish talk-show host that in her dreams, heaven - for that matter, America - is a place where everyone is Christian. Where would the Jews have gone?
She went on to explain that that Jews needed to convert to Christians in order to be "perfected," noting that Christians have a "fast track" to God. Appearing on CNBC's The Big Idea, hosted by Donny Deutsch, Coulter was asked what America would look like if she had her way.
"It would look like New York City during the [2004] Republican National Convention," Coulter replied. "In fact, that's what I think heaven is going to look like." Asked to expand on the theme, Coulter said "People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America."
Deutsch, growing at once incredulous and offended, responded
"So we should be Christian? It would be better if we were all Christian?" to which Coulter answered with a simple yes, later inviting Deutsch to attend church with her.
DEUTSCH: We should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then?
COULTER: Yeah.
史蒂夫: If that's her idea of heaven, I'll take hell.
Monday, October 15, 2007
中国的胡可呼吸新鲜空气，经过多年的邓小平的愚蠢
中国新领导人胡锦涛，不一定是真正的革命，但他是试图扭转一些腐败和裙带关系的邓小平。邓可能是一个最残酷的修正主义领导人，中国共产党已。 胡锦涛和改革可能只是代表了一小步的话，他是一个更民粹主义，中国领导人将试图修复灾难性的环境问题和消除腐败现象。这应该是一件好事。
由英国广播公司：
北京（法新社） -国家主席胡锦涛打开中国最大的政治事件，在5年内对周一认捐，以遏止最恶劣的暴行的急速经济增长和实施谨慎的政治改革。
解决了执政的共产党的精英们聚集在北京，为自己的5年一次代表大会时，胡锦涛确认了中国现代化建设的，自20世纪70年代末还造成了巨大的环境和社会问题。
"我们的经济增长，是实现了在一个过高的成本，在资源和环境， "胡锦涛说， 2200多名代表在海绵状人民大会堂的人在向全国发表电视讲话。
"依然是一个不平衡的发展，城市和农村地区之间，区域之间的关系，经济与社会的， "他补充说，有前途"的发展模式将有显着改观。 "
由英国广播公司：
北京（法新社） -国家主席胡锦涛打开中国最大的政治事件，在5年内对周一认捐，以遏止最恶劣的暴行的急速经济增长和实施谨慎的政治改革。
解决了执政的共产党的精英们聚集在北京，为自己的5年一次代表大会时，胡锦涛确认了中国现代化建设的，自20世纪70年代末还造成了巨大的环境和社会问题。
"我们的经济增长，是实现了在一个过高的成本，在资源和环境， "胡锦涛说， 2200多名代表在海绵状人民大会堂的人在向全国发表电视讲话。
"依然是一个不平衡的发展，城市和农村地区之间，区域之间的关系，经济与社会的， "他补充说，有前途"的发展模式将有显着改观。 "
China’s Hu may be a breath of fresh air after years of Deng Xiaoping’s folly
China’s new leader Hu Jintao, may not be a real revolutionary, but he is trying to overturn some of the corruption and nepotism of Deng Xiaoping, probably one of the most brutal and revisionist leaders China has ever had. While Hu’s reforms may be only a small step, he is a more populist leader trying to clean up China’s disastrous environmental problems and corruption. That should count for something.
From the BBC:
BEIJING (AFP) - President Hu Jintao opened China's biggest political event in five years on Monday with pledges to curb the worst excesses of breakneck economic growth and implement cautious political reforms.
Addressing the ruling Communist Party's elite gathered in Beijing for their five-yearly Congress, Hu acknowledged China's modernisation drive since the late 1970s had also caused huge environmental and social problems.
"Our economic growth is realised at an excessively high cost in resources and to the environment," Hu told more than 2,200 delegates at the cavernous Great Hall of the People in a nationally televised address."There remains an imbalance in development between urban and rural areas, among regions and between the economy and society," he added, promising that "development patterns will be significantly transformed."
From the BBC:
BEIJING (AFP) - President Hu Jintao opened China's biggest political event in five years on Monday with pledges to curb the worst excesses of breakneck economic growth and implement cautious political reforms.
Addressing the ruling Communist Party's elite gathered in Beijing for their five-yearly Congress, Hu acknowledged China's modernisation drive since the late 1970s had also caused huge environmental and social problems.
"Our economic growth is realised at an excessively high cost in resources and to the environment," Hu told more than 2,200 delegates at the cavernous Great Hall of the People in a nationally televised address."There remains an imbalance in development between urban and rural areas, among regions and between the economy and society," he added, promising that "development patterns will be significantly transformed."
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Christian Fascist win another victory
Here in Wichita, Mark Holick, Pastor of Sprit One, a center for right-wing Christian hate mongers, won a case against trespassing for trying to interfere with a gay-rights march.
According to the Wichita Eagle:
“Oct. 13, 2007
Pastor free of charges in pride parade arrest
BY JOE RODRIGUEZ
The Wichita Eagle
The city of Wichita dismissed a criminal trespassing charge Friday against a Wichita pastor for his actions in a gay pride parade in June.
"We're glad that justice prevailed," pastor Mark Holick of Spirit One Christian Center said shortly after the decision in Wichita Municipal Court. "We thought it was pretty obvious from the beginning."
A call to the city was referred to City Attorney Gary Rebenstorf. He did not return the call Friday afternoon.
Holick said that he and 30 church members went to the Pride Parade and Festival in downtown Wichita to pass out fliers and "preach the gospel" related to their belief that homosexuality is a sin.
Wichita police had told the group to move across the street, away from the parade, Holick said.
Holick said the church members did, but said he stayed to question why they had to leave a public sidewalk.”
The parade was in June. Spirit One Church is also under investigation by the IRS for using their tax free money for political purposes.
As we have seen before with Sen. Larry Craig, of Idaho, most homophobes, who hide behind Bible passages, are closet homosexuals themselves. How long will it be before we catch Pastor Holick in a homosexual act.
How long?
According to the Wichita Eagle:
“Oct. 13, 2007
Pastor free of charges in pride parade arrest
BY JOE RODRIGUEZ
The Wichita Eagle
The city of Wichita dismissed a criminal trespassing charge Friday against a Wichita pastor for his actions in a gay pride parade in June.
"We're glad that justice prevailed," pastor Mark Holick of Spirit One Christian Center said shortly after the decision in Wichita Municipal Court. "We thought it was pretty obvious from the beginning."
A call to the city was referred to City Attorney Gary Rebenstorf. He did not return the call Friday afternoon.
Holick said that he and 30 church members went to the Pride Parade and Festival in downtown Wichita to pass out fliers and "preach the gospel" related to their belief that homosexuality is a sin.
Wichita police had told the group to move across the street, away from the parade, Holick said.
Holick said the church members did, but said he stayed to question why they had to leave a public sidewalk.”
The parade was in June. Spirit One Church is also under investigation by the IRS for using their tax free money for political purposes.
As we have seen before with Sen. Larry Craig, of Idaho, most homophobes, who hide behind Bible passages, are closet homosexuals themselves. How long will it be before we catch Pastor Holick in a homosexual act.
How long?Thursday, October 11, 2007
Freedom for Joseba Alvarez!
Party of the Committees to Support Resistance – for Communism (CARC) - Italy
Via Tanaro, 7 - 20128 Milano - Tel/Fax 02.26306454
e-mail: resistenza@carc.it – website: http://www.carc.it/
National Direction / International Relations Department
Tel. +39 0226306454 - e-mail: http://us.f305.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=carc.ri@libero.it
Solidarity with the movement of liberation of the Basque people!
The CARC Party expresses full solidarity to the movement of liberation of the Basque people, to the party of Batasuna and its leader Joseba Alvarez, responsible for the International Relations, arrested yesterday by the Spanish police. The repressive action of the Spanish State follows the arrest of Otegi, other leader of Batasuna arrested on June and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for simply having express its opinion about the king of Spain .
Alvarez was instead arrested for having shared a demonstration that was attacked by the police. His case therefore is similar to that of the 18 antifascist comrades, including Valter Ferrarato, member of the National Direction of our party, prosecuted and condemned for having shared a demonstration against a neo Nazi parade in Milan on March 2006.
In general, the repressive action against Joseba Alvarez is a part of the attack on the European level against the freedom of expression, demonstration and association, those fundamental democratic rights the bourgeois society pretends to stand upon, and about which the imperialist countries show off when they go to bomb and exterminate the populations of the countries that, according to them, are not democratic, “do not respect the human rights”.
In Europe, this attack hit the comrades of the (new)Italian Communist Party (nPCI) Giuseppe Maj e Giuseppe Czeppel , the comrade Angelo D’Arcangeli of the Delegation of the (n)PCI, the Filipino comrade Jose Maria Sison, president of the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS), the Sardinian comrades of A Manca Pro S’Indipendentzia still in jail, the Turkish comrades Zeynep Kiliç ed Avni Er they too in jail in Italy, citing only the cases we know. All these comrades underwent and undergo condemnations, arrests and imprisonments because of exclusively political reasons, because they have no fear to denounce the falsity, the putrefaction and the fascism of the European ruling classes, because they are true communists, anti-imperialists, leaders of the struggles for national liberation, real representatives of the popular masses.
All those who really believe in democracy have to know of the arrest of Joseba Alvarez and have to express their condemnation.
All the communists, the anti-imperialists, the antifascists, those who struggle for national liberation have to make a common front against repression: Our party puts its commitment and its long experience in the struggle against repression for the construction of a front to defend the right of expression, demonstration and association on an European level. In order to do it makes a call to all those in various ways struggle for the defence and the progress of the popular masses in our countries. These defence and progress are from some time now possible only thanks a revolutionary movement. It is this revolution that terrifies the ruling classes making them react with repressive actions crushing its own so called state subject to the rule of the law, and therefore struggle against repression, defence and progress of the rights of the popular masses and revolutionary way converge. The more they will unify themselves, the more the action in each one of these fields will gain power.
Unity against repression
Freedom fo Joseba Alvarez Forcada !
Long live the struggle for liberation of the Basque people!
Send solidarity statements to:
http://us.f305.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=batasuna1@hotmail.com
http://us.f305.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=alvarezforcada@hotmail.com
Via Tanaro, 7 - 20128 Milano - Tel/Fax 02.26306454
e-mail: resistenza@carc.it – website: http://www.carc.it/
National Direction / International Relations Department
Tel. +39 0226306454 - e-mail: http://us.f305.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=carc.ri@libero.it
Solidarity with the movement of liberation of the Basque people!
The CARC Party expresses full solidarity to the movement of liberation of the Basque people, to the party of Batasuna and its leader Joseba Alvarez, responsible for the International Relations, arrested yesterday by the Spanish police. The repressive action of the Spanish State follows the arrest of Otegi, other leader of Batasuna arrested on June and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for simply having express its opinion about the king of Spain .
Alvarez was instead arrested for having shared a demonstration that was attacked by the police. His case therefore is similar to that of the 18 antifascist comrades, including Valter Ferrarato, member of the National Direction of our party, prosecuted and condemned for having shared a demonstration against a neo Nazi parade in Milan on March 2006.
In general, the repressive action against Joseba Alvarez is a part of the attack on the European level against the freedom of expression, demonstration and association, those fundamental democratic rights the bourgeois society pretends to stand upon, and about which the imperialist countries show off when they go to bomb and exterminate the populations of the countries that, according to them, are not democratic, “do not respect the human rights”.
In Europe, this attack hit the comrades of the (new)Italian Communist Party (nPCI) Giuseppe Maj e Giuseppe Czeppel , the comrade Angelo D’Arcangeli of the Delegation of the (n)PCI, the Filipino comrade Jose Maria Sison, president of the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS), the Sardinian comrades of A Manca Pro S’Indipendentzia still in jail, the Turkish comrades Zeynep Kiliç ed Avni Er they too in jail in Italy, citing only the cases we know. All these comrades underwent and undergo condemnations, arrests and imprisonments because of exclusively political reasons, because they have no fear to denounce the falsity, the putrefaction and the fascism of the European ruling classes, because they are true communists, anti-imperialists, leaders of the struggles for national liberation, real representatives of the popular masses.
All those who really believe in democracy have to know of the arrest of Joseba Alvarez and have to express their condemnation.
All the communists, the anti-imperialists, the antifascists, those who struggle for national liberation have to make a common front against repression: Our party puts its commitment and its long experience in the struggle against repression for the construction of a front to defend the right of expression, demonstration and association on an European level. In order to do it makes a call to all those in various ways struggle for the defence and the progress of the popular masses in our countries. These defence and progress are from some time now possible only thanks a revolutionary movement. It is this revolution that terrifies the ruling classes making them react with repressive actions crushing its own so called state subject to the rule of the law, and therefore struggle against repression, defence and progress of the rights of the popular masses and revolutionary way converge. The more they will unify themselves, the more the action in each one of these fields will gain power.
Unity against repression
Freedom fo Joseba Alvarez Forcada !
Long live the struggle for liberation of the Basque people!
Send solidarity statements to:
http://us.f305.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=batasuna1@hotmail.com
http://us.f305.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=alvarezforcada@hotmail.com
Libertà per Joseba Alvarez!
Versione Italiana
Solidarietà con il movimento di liberazione del popolo basco!
Il Partito dei CARC esprime piena solidarietà al movimento di liberazione del popolo basco, al partito Batasuna e al suo dirigente Joseba Alvarez, responsabile delle Relazioni Internazionali, arrestato ieri dalla polizia spagnola. L’azione repressiva dello Stato spagnolo segue all’arresto di Otegi, altro dirigente di Batasuna arrestato a giugno e condannato ad un anno di carcere per il reato di avere semplicemente espresso il suo giudizio sul re di Spagna.
Alvarez, invece, è stato arrestato per aver preso parte ad una manifestazione che è stata attaccata dalla polizia. Il suo caso è quindi analogo a quello dei 18 compagni antifascisti, tra cui il membro della Direzione Nazionale dei CARC Valter Ferrarato, processati e condannati per avere preso parte ad una manifestazione contro una parata neonazista a Milano nel marzo dello scorso anno.
In generale, l’azione repressiva contro Joseba Alvarez fa parte dell’attacco a livello europeo contro la libertà di espressione, di manifestazione e di associazione, quei diritti democratici fondamentali su cui si dovrebbe fondare la società borghese e di cui i paesi imperialisti si vantano quando vanno a bombardare e a sterminare la popolazione di paesi che, secondo loro, democratici non sono, “non rispettano i diritti umani”.
Questo attacco, in Europa, ha colpito i compagni del (nuovo)PCI Giuseppe Maj e Giuseppe Czeppel , il compagno Angelo D’Arcangeli della Delegazione del (nuovo)PCI, il compagno filippino Jose Maria Sison, presidente della International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS), i compagni sardi di A Manca Pro S’Indipendentzia tuttora in carcere, i compagni turchi Zeynep Kiliç ed Avni Er anch’essi in carcere in Italia, per citare solo i casi a noi noti. Tutti questi compagni e compagne hanno subito e subiscono condanne, arresti e prigionia per motivi esclusivamente politici, perché non temono di denunciare la falsità, la putrefazione e il fascismo delle classi dominanti in Europa, perché sono veri comunisti, antimperialisti, dirigenti delle lotte di liberazione nazionale, veri rappresentanti delle masse popolari.
Tutti coloro che credono veramente nella democrazia devono sapere dell’arresto di Joseba Alvarez ed esprimere la loro condanna.
Tutti i comunisti, gli antimperialisti, gli antifascisti, coloro che lottano per la liberazione nazionale, devono fare fronte comune contro la repressione. Il nostro partito pone il proprio impegno e la propria lunga esperienza nella lotta contro la repressione per la costruzione di un fronte per la difesa del diritto di espressione, di manifestazione e di associazione a livello europeo e fa appello in tal senso a tutti coloro che a vario titolo lottano per la difesa ed il progresso delle masse popolari nei nostri paesi. Questa difesa e questo progresso sono ormai da tempo possibili solo grazie a un movimento rivoluzionario. È questa rivoluzione che atterrisce le classi dominanti e le fa rispondere con azioni repressive che calpestano il suo stesso cosiddetto stato di diritto, e perciò lotta contro la repressione, difesa e progresso dei diritti delle masse popolari e prospettiva rivoluzionaria convergono. Quanto più si uniranno, tanto più la nostra azione in ognuno di questi campi guadagnerà potenza.
Unità contro la repressione!
Libertà per Joseba Alvarez Forcada !
Viva la lotta di liberazione del popolo basco!
Inviare comunicati di solidarietà a:
batasuna1@hotmail.comalvarezforcada@hotmail.com
Solidarietà con il movimento di liberazione del popolo basco!
Il Partito dei CARC esprime piena solidarietà al movimento di liberazione del popolo basco, al partito Batasuna e al suo dirigente Joseba Alvarez, responsabile delle Relazioni Internazionali, arrestato ieri dalla polizia spagnola. L’azione repressiva dello Stato spagnolo segue all’arresto di Otegi, altro dirigente di Batasuna arrestato a giugno e condannato ad un anno di carcere per il reato di avere semplicemente espresso il suo giudizio sul re di Spagna.
Alvarez, invece, è stato arrestato per aver preso parte ad una manifestazione che è stata attaccata dalla polizia. Il suo caso è quindi analogo a quello dei 18 compagni antifascisti, tra cui il membro della Direzione Nazionale dei CARC Valter Ferrarato, processati e condannati per avere preso parte ad una manifestazione contro una parata neonazista a Milano nel marzo dello scorso anno.
In generale, l’azione repressiva contro Joseba Alvarez fa parte dell’attacco a livello europeo contro la libertà di espressione, di manifestazione e di associazione, quei diritti democratici fondamentali su cui si dovrebbe fondare la società borghese e di cui i paesi imperialisti si vantano quando vanno a bombardare e a sterminare la popolazione di paesi che, secondo loro, democratici non sono, “non rispettano i diritti umani”.
Questo attacco, in Europa, ha colpito i compagni del (nuovo)PCI Giuseppe Maj e Giuseppe Czeppel , il compagno Angelo D’Arcangeli della Delegazione del (nuovo)PCI, il compagno filippino Jose Maria Sison, presidente della International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS), i compagni sardi di A Manca Pro S’Indipendentzia tuttora in carcere, i compagni turchi Zeynep Kiliç ed Avni Er anch’essi in carcere in Italia, per citare solo i casi a noi noti. Tutti questi compagni e compagne hanno subito e subiscono condanne, arresti e prigionia per motivi esclusivamente politici, perché non temono di denunciare la falsità, la putrefazione e il fascismo delle classi dominanti in Europa, perché sono veri comunisti, antimperialisti, dirigenti delle lotte di liberazione nazionale, veri rappresentanti delle masse popolari.
Tutti coloro che credono veramente nella democrazia devono sapere dell’arresto di Joseba Alvarez ed esprimere la loro condanna.
Tutti i comunisti, gli antimperialisti, gli antifascisti, coloro che lottano per la liberazione nazionale, devono fare fronte comune contro la repressione. Il nostro partito pone il proprio impegno e la propria lunga esperienza nella lotta contro la repressione per la costruzione di un fronte per la difesa del diritto di espressione, di manifestazione e di associazione a livello europeo e fa appello in tal senso a tutti coloro che a vario titolo lottano per la difesa ed il progresso delle masse popolari nei nostri paesi. Questa difesa e questo progresso sono ormai da tempo possibili solo grazie a un movimento rivoluzionario. È questa rivoluzione che atterrisce le classi dominanti e le fa rispondere con azioni repressive che calpestano il suo stesso cosiddetto stato di diritto, e perciò lotta contro la repressione, difesa e progresso dei diritti delle masse popolari e prospettiva rivoluzionaria convergono. Quanto più si uniranno, tanto più la nostra azione in ognuno di questi campi guadagnerà potenza.
Unità contro la repressione!
Libertà per Joseba Alvarez Forcada !
Viva la lotta di liberazione del popolo basco!
Inviare comunicati di solidarietà a:
batasuna1@hotmail.comalvarezforcada@hotmail.com
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Excerpts from Can You Pass the Acid Test?
Below this entry is an article on Paraphernalia. This is a chapter from my new book.
Excerpts from Can You Pass the Acid Test?
Chapter 8
Paraphernalia
Equipment or Art, They Are Used to Ingest
By the year 2000 there are five common types of drug paraphernalia.
Three involve illegal drugs and two legal ones. The three illegal drugs
include marijuana pipes and rolling papers; crack pipes; and syringes for
injectable drugs, such as heroin. The two legal drugs are alcohol and
tobacco. For these two substances there are pipes, papers, drinking
glasses and related accessories.
Most people probably don’t consider drinking glasses as
paraphernalia, nor tobacco pipes. Yet they have their similarities.
Tobacco rolling papers have even come under fire, for their “possible”
connection to marijuana use. While crack pipes and syringes are entirely
an underground phenomena, marijuana pipes have an extensive history of
development, diversity and creativity that rivals their legal counterparts,
tobacco and alcohol. The same thing could be said of opium pipes, when
they were legal.
Hash Pipes/ Marijuana Pipes and Accessories
Marijuana pipes usually have smaller bowls than tobacco pipes. There
are two basic kinds of marijuana pipes. Small compactable pipes that are
simple, easy to hide and usually short. The others are water pipes or
bongs, which have a place for a coolant, such as water. They can be small
enough to be held in one hand or as high as three feet. They are clearly for
use in the home, as they would be conspicuous if used outside or in a car.
As of the year 2000, these pipes are still being sold, but their sales just
recently made a comeback after the industry faced heavy opposition
during the 1980s and ’90s. Many of the stores that sell these today, make
continuous references to tobacco and some even warn they will kick
someone out if they use any description of marijuana use. Since the 1990s,
few stores, if any, sell pipes with marijuana leaves pictured on them. Any
picture or label that signifies drug use is now taboo. Some stores won’t
even sell glass pipes because they can be used for crack cocaine. This is
because of a fierce campaign waged by the so-called “parent groups” of
the late 1970s, such as National Federation for Drug-Free Youth. They
attacked every aspect of the drug culture, including paraphernalia. Their
emphasis was on marijuana.
1980s
Paraphernalia Under Attack
If paraphernalia laws have been useful in trying to muzzle pro-drug
magazines, they were even more successful when they took on the actual
instruments of drug use.415 416 Although there has never been a national
ban on all paraphernalia, there have been bans in many states and many of
those bans can be credited to the “parents organizations.” Such a law was
passed in Kansas in 1981. It provided up to $1,000 or a year in jail for
possessing any type of drug paraphernalia.417
An anti-paraphernalia bill was passed in Illinois in August 1989. The
law makes it a felony to sell to minors with up to three years imprisonment
or fines of $1,000 per item sold or offered for sale. The law was signed by
Governor James R. Thompson, at Holy Angels Church, in Chicago. That
is the parish of one of two vigilante priests who spent a lot of time
harassing shops that sold paraphernalia and even took it upon themselves
to take the law into their own hands. The two priests, Fathers George
Clements and Michael Pfleger, lobbied for the ban. They also broke
property, forced their way into shops, trespassed and made threats against
shop owners.418 The priests used their church to form a group of thugs who
proudly called themselves the “God Squad.” They picketed record and
head shops as well as convenience stores that sold anything the group
considered “drug paraphernalia.”419 They also harassed those who tried to
buy such items.420
Other drug warriors have used boycotts and intimidation to stop the
sale of paraphernalia. For example, DIGNITY (an acronym for “Doing In
God’s Name Incredible Things Yourself), founded by Dick Gregory,
boycotted and protested at Kroger stores in Little Rock, Arkansas. They
actually took over a store and refused to leave until it quit selling “drug
paraphernalia.” They were referring to rolling papers the store sold for
making tobacco cigarettes. They made the ridiculous claim that Kroger
was a major supplier of drug paraphernalia, even though the rolling
papers were never intended for drug use. This was similar to the claim
made by the Liberty Foundation against 7-Eleven stores, that they were
major porn dealers, for selling Playboy and Penthouse. After meeting
with company officials, DIGNITY got pretty much what it wanted. The
store agreed to sell the papers only with tobacco.421 These and the other
actions had driven much of the drug paraphernalia industry out of business or underground.
Excerpts from Can You Pass the Acid Test?
Chapter 8
Paraphernalia
Equipment or Art, They Are Used to Ingest
By the year 2000 there are five common types of drug paraphernalia.
Three involve illegal drugs and two legal ones. The three illegal drugs
include marijuana pipes and rolling papers; crack pipes; and syringes for
injectable drugs, such as heroin. The two legal drugs are alcohol and
tobacco. For these two substances there are pipes, papers, drinking
glasses and related accessories.
Most people probably don’t consider drinking glasses as
paraphernalia, nor tobacco pipes. Yet they have their similarities.
Tobacco rolling papers have even come under fire, for their “possible”
connection to marijuana use. While crack pipes and syringes are entirely
an underground phenomena, marijuana pipes have an extensive history of
development, diversity and creativity that rivals their legal counterparts,
tobacco and alcohol. The same thing could be said of opium pipes, when
they were legal.
Hash Pipes/ Marijuana Pipes and Accessories
Marijuana pipes usually have smaller bowls than tobacco pipes. There
are two basic kinds of marijuana pipes. Small compactable pipes that are
simple, easy to hide and usually short. The others are water pipes or
bongs, which have a place for a coolant, such as water. They can be small
enough to be held in one hand or as high as three feet. They are clearly for
use in the home, as they would be conspicuous if used outside or in a car.
As of the year 2000, these pipes are still being sold, but their sales just
recently made a comeback after the industry faced heavy opposition
during the 1980s and ’90s. Many of the stores that sell these today, make
continuous references to tobacco and some even warn they will kick
someone out if they use any description of marijuana use. Since the 1990s,
few stores, if any, sell pipes with marijuana leaves pictured on them. Any
picture or label that signifies drug use is now taboo. Some stores won’t
even sell glass pipes because they can be used for crack cocaine. This is
because of a fierce campaign waged by the so-called “parent groups” of
the late 1970s, such as National Federation for Drug-Free Youth. They
attacked every aspect of the drug culture, including paraphernalia. Their
emphasis was on marijuana.
1980s
Paraphernalia Under Attack
If paraphernalia laws have been useful in trying to muzzle pro-drug
magazines, they were even more successful when they took on the actual
instruments of drug use.415 416 Although there has never been a national
ban on all paraphernalia, there have been bans in many states and many of
those bans can be credited to the “parents organizations.” Such a law was
passed in Kansas in 1981. It provided up to $1,000 or a year in jail for
possessing any type of drug paraphernalia.417
An anti-paraphernalia bill was passed in Illinois in August 1989. The
law makes it a felony to sell to minors with up to three years imprisonment
or fines of $1,000 per item sold or offered for sale. The law was signed by
Governor James R. Thompson, at Holy Angels Church, in Chicago. That
is the parish of one of two vigilante priests who spent a lot of time
harassing shops that sold paraphernalia and even took it upon themselves
to take the law into their own hands. The two priests, Fathers George
Clements and Michael Pfleger, lobbied for the ban. They also broke
property, forced their way into shops, trespassed and made threats against
shop owners.418 The priests used their church to form a group of thugs who
proudly called themselves the “God Squad.” They picketed record and
head shops as well as convenience stores that sold anything the group
considered “drug paraphernalia.”419 They also harassed those who tried to
buy such items.420
Other drug warriors have used boycotts and intimidation to stop the
sale of paraphernalia. For example, DIGNITY (an acronym for “Doing In
God’s Name Incredible Things Yourself), founded by Dick Gregory,
boycotted and protested at Kroger stores in Little Rock, Arkansas. They
actually took over a store and refused to leave until it quit selling “drug
paraphernalia.” They were referring to rolling papers the store sold for
making tobacco cigarettes. They made the ridiculous claim that Kroger
was a major supplier of drug paraphernalia, even though the rolling
papers were never intended for drug use. This was similar to the claim
made by the Liberty Foundation against 7-Eleven stores, that they were
major porn dealers, for selling Playboy and Penthouse. After meeting
with company officials, DIGNITY got pretty much what it wanted. The
store agreed to sell the papers only with tobacco.421 These and the other
actions had driven much of the drug paraphernalia industry out of business or underground.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Pakistan has elections “American” style
How does democracy work with a loyal American leader? In countries such as Pakistan the choice is easy. There’s only one person to vote for. Gen. Pervez Musharraf just won an election by keeping his opponents out of the country. The opposition lawmen in Pakistan’s Parliament boycotted the election leaving only 8 votes against against Musharraf and 671 for him.
Fair elections are only for countries with US hated dictators our government has overthrown. Our undemocratic allies get all the support they want no matter what they do to their opponents. That’s how US democracy works. Pro-US people get elected or they are overthrown by a CIA or US led military coup.
According to an AP article, Sat, Oct. 06, 2007:
“Pakistan's Musharraf sweeps election
By MATTHEW PENNINGTON
Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's Gen. Pervez Musharraf swept Saturday's presidential election, according to unofficial results, but the Supreme Court could still disqualify the military leader in the vote boycotted by nearly all of Pakistan's opposition.
The election by federal and provincial lawmakers was a one-sided affair. Just over half the eligible lawmakers turned out to vote, with nearly all the opposition parties abstaining or boycotting to protest Musharraf's bid for a new five-year term while still army chief.
In total, Musharraf won 671 votes, compared with just eight for his main rival - retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmad. Six ballots were invalid, election officials said.
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the official results can only be declared after it rules on complaints lodged by Musharraf's opponents that his candidacy is unconstitutional.
The complete unofficial results were announced just 80 minutes after the five hours of voting, broadcast on national television, was done - and ruling-party lawmakers were claiming victory even before counting began. Only a handful of the government's opponents were among the 685 of the 1,170 eligible lawmakers to vote.”
So while democracy was so needed in Iraq that we sent in troops, Pakistan gets along just fine without it.
Fair elections are only for countries with US hated dictators our government has overthrown. Our undemocratic allies get all the support they want no matter what they do to their opponents. That’s how US democracy works. Pro-US people get elected or they are overthrown by a CIA or US led military coup.
According to an AP article, Sat, Oct. 06, 2007:
“Pakistan's Musharraf sweeps election
By MATTHEW PENNINGTON
Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's Gen. Pervez Musharraf swept Saturday's presidential election, according to unofficial results, but the Supreme Court could still disqualify the military leader in the vote boycotted by nearly all of Pakistan's opposition.
The election by federal and provincial lawmakers was a one-sided affair. Just over half the eligible lawmakers turned out to vote, with nearly all the opposition parties abstaining or boycotting to protest Musharraf's bid for a new five-year term while still army chief.
In total, Musharraf won 671 votes, compared with just eight for his main rival - retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmad. Six ballots were invalid, election officials said.
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the official results can only be declared after it rules on complaints lodged by Musharraf's opponents that his candidacy is unconstitutional.
The complete unofficial results were announced just 80 minutes after the five hours of voting, broadcast on national television, was done - and ruling-party lawmakers were claiming victory even before counting began. Only a handful of the government's opponents were among the 685 of the 1,170 eligible lawmakers to vote.”
So while democracy was so needed in Iraq that we sent in troops, Pakistan gets along just fine without it.
باكستان لديها انتخابات "الاميركية" الاسلوب
كيف الديمقراطيه والعمل مع القائد الاعلى والاميركية؟ في بلدان مثل باكستان ، والاختيار سيكون أمرا سهلا. هناك شخص واحد فقط في التصويت. الجنرال برويز مشرف الانتخابية عادل فاز تمشيا مع معارضيه في الخارج. المعارضة المسؤولين عن تنفيذ القانون فى باكستان البرلمان قاطعوا الانتخابات.
الانتخابات النزيهه هي فقط للبلدان مع حكومة الولايات المتحدة الاطاحة مكروه الدكتاتوريين. نحن غير ديمقراطي حلفاء احصل على كل الدعم الذي يريدون ، بصرف النظر عما يفعلونه على معارضيهم. الطريقة التي تعمل بها الديمقراطيه الامريكية. يوصلنا اوفياء لشعب انتخب ، أو هو الاطاحة بها وكالة المخابرات المركزية أو انقلاب عسكري بقيادة الولايات المتحدة.
واستنادا الى المادة المضاده ، وجلست ، 06 تشرين الاول / اكتوبر 2007 :
"انتخابات باكستان
من جانب ماثيو pennington
وكالة اسوشيتدبرس الكاتب
إسلام آباد ، باكستان - باكستان الجنرال برويز مشرف السبت اكتسحت الانتخابات الرءاسيه ، استنادا الى نتائج غير رسمية ، ولكن المحكمه العليا لا يزال من الممكن ان ينحى القائد العسكري في التصويت قاطعت المعارضة كلها تقريبا من باكستان.
وانتخابات المقاطعات الاتحادية من قبل المشرعين هو جانب واحد من الاشياء. ما يزيد قليلا على نصف الاشخاص الذين يحق لهم التصويت تحولت المشرعين ، مع ما يقرب من جميع احزاب المعارضة التي تمتنع عن التصويت او المقاطعه احتجاجا على مشرف عرض جديدة مدتها خمس سنوات ، بينما لا يزال قائد الجيش.
في المجموع ، مشرف فاز 671 صوتا ، مقابل ثمانيه فقط المنافس الرئيسي لبلدة - قاض متقاعد wajihuddin احمد. ستة وكان عدد البطاقات غير صالحة ، وقال مسؤولون الانتخابات.
حكمت المحكمه العليا الجمعة ان النتائج الرسمية المعلنة لا يمكن الا ان يكون بعد أن القواعد على الشكاوى التي قدمها مشرف المعارضين ان ترشيحه غير دستوري.
كامل نتائج غير رسمية اعلنت للتو 80 دقيقة بعد خمس ساعات من التصويت ، بث التلفزيون الوطني ، وكان عمله - الحزب الحاكم - المشرعين من ادعاء الفوز ، وحتى قبل بدأ العد. الا حفنة من المعارضين للحكومة من بين 685 من 170 المشرعون المؤهلة الى 1 تصويت. "
الانتخابات النزيهه هي فقط للبلدان مع حكومة الولايات المتحدة الاطاحة مكروه الدكتاتوريين. نحن غير ديمقراطي حلفاء احصل على كل الدعم الذي يريدون ، بصرف النظر عما يفعلونه على معارضيهم. الطريقة التي تعمل بها الديمقراطيه الامريكية. يوصلنا اوفياء لشعب انتخب ، أو هو الاطاحة بها وكالة المخابرات المركزية أو انقلاب عسكري بقيادة الولايات المتحدة.
واستنادا الى المادة المضاده ، وجلست ، 06 تشرين الاول / اكتوبر 2007 :
"انتخابات باكستان
من جانب ماثيو pennington
وكالة اسوشيتدبرس الكاتب
إسلام آباد ، باكستان - باكستان الجنرال برويز مشرف السبت اكتسحت الانتخابات الرءاسيه ، استنادا الى نتائج غير رسمية ، ولكن المحكمه العليا لا يزال من الممكن ان ينحى القائد العسكري في التصويت قاطعت المعارضة كلها تقريبا من باكستان.
وانتخابات المقاطعات الاتحادية من قبل المشرعين هو جانب واحد من الاشياء. ما يزيد قليلا على نصف الاشخاص الذين يحق لهم التصويت تحولت المشرعين ، مع ما يقرب من جميع احزاب المعارضة التي تمتنع عن التصويت او المقاطعه احتجاجا على مشرف عرض جديدة مدتها خمس سنوات ، بينما لا يزال قائد الجيش.
في المجموع ، مشرف فاز 671 صوتا ، مقابل ثمانيه فقط المنافس الرئيسي لبلدة - قاض متقاعد wajihuddin احمد. ستة وكان عدد البطاقات غير صالحة ، وقال مسؤولون الانتخابات.
حكمت المحكمه العليا الجمعة ان النتائج الرسمية المعلنة لا يمكن الا ان يكون بعد أن القواعد على الشكاوى التي قدمها مشرف المعارضين ان ترشيحه غير دستوري.
كامل نتائج غير رسمية اعلنت للتو 80 دقيقة بعد خمس ساعات من التصويت ، بث التلفزيون الوطني ، وكان عمله - الحزب الحاكم - المشرعين من ادعاء الفوز ، وحتى قبل بدأ العد. الا حفنة من المعارضين للحكومة من بين 685 من 170 المشرعون المؤهلة الى 1 تصويت. "
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Baggies can get you arrested in the USA
A new drug paraphernalia law, proposed by our newest Kansas Idiots in our House and Senate, no longer requires that an object have residue or proof of intent of use. The police can decide what is used for drugs and what isn’t. That means any cigarette papers, a straw from a fast food joint, or as this article makes clear, any glass item, such as a glass rose.
“Drug law nets first arrests
The Wichita Eagle
October 05, 2007
The 'Happy Valentine Glass Rose' is no romantic gift, Wichita police say.
Instead, it's a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, Sgt. Trevor McDonald said Friday, surrounded by an assortment of glass pipes, electronic scales, bright blue baggies and rolling papers that police confiscated at a Wichita convenience store in the first case under a new law that makes it illegal to sell drug paraphernalia.
Police say they seized thousands of items designed for drug use Thursday night from the KC Gas & Groceries store at Maple and Seneca.
A six-week investigation resulted in the arrests of two people on felony charges. Selling paraphernalia is a misdemeanor under a new Kansas law that went into effect July 1, but because the store is within 1,000 feet -- 460 feet, according to police -- of Allison Middle School, felony charges applied, McDonald said.
A 'We are closed' sign was taped to the store's front door late Friday afternoon, but the store reopened in the evening.”
Also in this article:
“Police will try to figure out how much of the store's business came from the products, he said.
Investigators seized more than 1,000 pipes made for smoking meth, about 1,300 pipes made for smoking crack, more than 500 keychain-style 'one-hitter' marijuana pipes, more than 60 electronic scales, several thousand boxes of papers used for rolling marijuana cigarettes, or joints, and thousands of baggies used primarily for measuring powder drugs”
Baggies???! What’s next? - shovels because they might be used for growing pot? Where does this madness end? Our government seeks to protect people from them selves and come up with ridiculous laws that are nothing more than a publicity stunt. But worse than that it allows anyone to be harassed by police just because the law is so vague anyone can be arrested for a straw, coffee stirrer or having an empty baggie. The owner of this shop was clearly targeted for harassment.
“Drug law nets first arrests
The Wichita Eagle
October 05, 2007
The 'Happy Valentine Glass Rose' is no romantic gift, Wichita police say.
Instead, it's a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, Sgt. Trevor McDonald said Friday, surrounded by an assortment of glass pipes, electronic scales, bright blue baggies and rolling papers that police confiscated at a Wichita convenience store in the first case under a new law that makes it illegal to sell drug paraphernalia.
Police say they seized thousands of items designed for drug use Thursday night from the KC Gas & Groceries store at Maple and Seneca.
A six-week investigation resulted in the arrests of two people on felony charges. Selling paraphernalia is a misdemeanor under a new Kansas law that went into effect July 1, but because the store is within 1,000 feet -- 460 feet, according to police -- of Allison Middle School, felony charges applied, McDonald said.
A 'We are closed' sign was taped to the store's front door late Friday afternoon, but the store reopened in the evening.”
Also in this article:
“Police will try to figure out how much of the store's business came from the products, he said.
Investigators seized more than 1,000 pipes made for smoking meth, about 1,300 pipes made for smoking crack, more than 500 keychain-style 'one-hitter' marijuana pipes, more than 60 electronic scales, several thousand boxes of papers used for rolling marijuana cigarettes, or joints, and thousands of baggies used primarily for measuring powder drugs”
Baggies???! What’s next? - shovels because they might be used for growing pot? Where does this madness end? Our government seeks to protect people from them selves and come up with ridiculous laws that are nothing more than a publicity stunt. But worse than that it allows anyone to be harassed by police just because the law is so vague anyone can be arrested for a straw, coffee stirrer or having an empty baggie. The owner of this shop was clearly targeted for harassment.
Beware – Big Brother is watching you
Monday, October 01, 2007
Another idiot from Kansas
By សតិវេណុ ទតុ
Venus, where global warming has reached 900 degrees F.
Venus, where global warming has reached 900 degrees F.
Kansas House speaker Melvin Neufeld, a Republican from Ingalls recently said that global warming was "good for Kansas." He is pushing for a coal burning plant in his district. He pointed out that the growing season is getting longer and corn (which actually takes way to much water to be grown in Kansas and is drying out our underground water beds), soaks up the carbon dioxide.
I don't know whether Nuefeld just doesn't read, is extremely short sited or just plain moronic, but scientist have said there will be a short period where the weather will help increase crops, but only temporarily and then crops production will be badly interrupted.
I guess Neufeld got to the "increase crops" part of the report, then decided the rest wasn't that important.
DUUUU!
I don't know whether Nuefeld just doesn't read, is extremely short sited or just plain moronic, but scientist have said there will be a short period where the weather will help increase crops, but only temporarily and then crops production will be badly interrupted.
I guess Neufeld got to the "increase crops" part of the report, then decided the rest wasn't that important.
DUUUU!
Don’t forget "Memoirs"
High Across The Prairie
Steve Otto's 2nd latest novel takes an honest look at 1970's
Kansas.Memoirs Of A Drugged-up, Sex-crazed Yippie ---Tales from the 70's Counterculture: Drugs, Sex, Politics and Rock and Roll.
By Steve Otto
Authorhouse Press/2005
Reviewed by Tim Pouncey
Kansas in the late 1970's was so different from today; the Sunflower State might as well have been located in Holland.Remember what it was like to share drugs with close friends and complete strangers? Remember when casual sex was so casual you didn't even know your partners name? Remember when the political climate of Kansas came down squarely on the side of tolerance? Remember when your personal philosophy of life was defined by rock lyrics and not a mission statement?You don't?Well, Steve Otto does. In his latest semi-fictional novel, Memoirs Of A Drugged-Up, Sex Crazed Yippie (Authorhouse Press/2005), Otto excavates 1970's counterculture like an archeologist loving dusting off a Mastodon tusk. In a brisk 349 pages, Otto gives us a lucid look at a Kansas few people remember --- or can't remember due to a plentiful supply of "controlled substances" that were constantly and cheaply available. Characters romp through Wichita, Lawrence and even Sedalia Missouri when a cheap thrill was worth what you paid for it and pleasure was just the flipside of danger.But to dismiss this book as just another nostalgic stoner reminiscing about the last days of the counter-culture would be a major mistake. Although there is a certain "back-in-the-day" wistfulness about the time before political correctness was a mantra, Otto tempers his dreamy history lesson with brutal honesty.The narrator of the story --- a composite of just about every old druggie you ever met --- may graphically describe the bliss of mainlining MDA, he also reminds us that brief moment of pleasure most often occurred in a squalid apartment at broken kitchen table next to sink full of dirty dishes.Like all good storytellers, Otto takes the reader places they've never been before. Like William Burroughs and Charles Bukowsky, Otto sometimes takes you to places you've never really wanted to visit. Yet, Otto makes it worth the trip by including generous portions of political discourse, Cyrenaic philosophy, post-adolescent lust and near-suicidal thrill seeking to keep the narrative moving along like a junkie careening through a police roadblock.Otto's work is always provocative and this book will undoubtedly draw the wrath of both solid conservatives and neo-feminists. Otto's characters never mask their contempt for the right-wing agenda and Otto's narrator never hides his obsession with female anatomy. However, criticizing Memoirs because it baits conservatives and objectifies women is missing the point. Filtering 1970's Kansas counterculture through the sensibilities of a naive middle-class, catholic school educated, twenty-something is no easy trick but Otto mostly pulls it off. He has a good ear for times-past and tries --- often successfully --- to make his prose read like it would have been written by someone experiencing these situations 30 years ago. Trying to be simultaneously innovative, entertaining and honest is a juggling act on a unicycle, but Otto is generally at his best when everything's up-in-the-air and he's peddling frantically. When the narrator's budding Marxist politics and his discussions with Iranian nationalists clash with his dawning awareness that Kansas politics has taken a sharp turn to the right, Otto makes it work.Is Otto's look into the rear-view mirror a true reflection on the 70's, or do the objects simply appear bigger than they were? Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Memoirs resonates with characters buckling under the weight of the America Dream with redemption harder to find than next snort of Cocaine.
The following book stores also have Memoirs:
Direct from the publisher, $ 12.25
Amazon.com,
Powell's books,
Abe Books,
Steve Otto's 2nd latest novel takes an honest look at 1970's
Kansas.Memoirs Of A Drugged-up, Sex-crazed Yippie ---Tales from the 70's Counterculture: Drugs, Sex, Politics and Rock and Roll.
By Steve Otto
Authorhouse Press/2005
Reviewed by Tim Pouncey
Kansas in the late 1970's was so different from today; the Sunflower State might as well have been located in Holland.Remember what it was like to share drugs with close friends and complete strangers? Remember when casual sex was so casual you didn't even know your partners name? Remember when the political climate of Kansas came down squarely on the side of tolerance? Remember when your personal philosophy of life was defined by rock lyrics and not a mission statement?You don't?Well, Steve Otto does. In his latest semi-fictional novel, Memoirs Of A Drugged-Up, Sex Crazed Yippie (Authorhouse Press/2005), Otto excavates 1970's counterculture like an archeologist loving dusting off a Mastodon tusk. In a brisk 349 pages, Otto gives us a lucid look at a Kansas few people remember --- or can't remember due to a plentiful supply of "controlled substances" that were constantly and cheaply available. Characters romp through Wichita, Lawrence and even Sedalia Missouri when a cheap thrill was worth what you paid for it and pleasure was just the flipside of danger.But to dismiss this book as just another nostalgic stoner reminiscing about the last days of the counter-culture would be a major mistake. Although there is a certain "back-in-the-day" wistfulness about the time before political correctness was a mantra, Otto tempers his dreamy history lesson with brutal honesty.The narrator of the story --- a composite of just about every old druggie you ever met --- may graphically describe the bliss of mainlining MDA, he also reminds us that brief moment of pleasure most often occurred in a squalid apartment at broken kitchen table next to sink full of dirty dishes.Like all good storytellers, Otto takes the reader places they've never been before. Like William Burroughs and Charles Bukowsky, Otto sometimes takes you to places you've never really wanted to visit. Yet, Otto makes it worth the trip by including generous portions of political discourse, Cyrenaic philosophy, post-adolescent lust and near-suicidal thrill seeking to keep the narrative moving along like a junkie careening through a police roadblock.Otto's work is always provocative and this book will undoubtedly draw the wrath of both solid conservatives and neo-feminists. Otto's characters never mask their contempt for the right-wing agenda and Otto's narrator never hides his obsession with female anatomy. However, criticizing Memoirs because it baits conservatives and objectifies women is missing the point. Filtering 1970's Kansas counterculture through the sensibilities of a naive middle-class, catholic school educated, twenty-something is no easy trick but Otto mostly pulls it off. He has a good ear for times-past and tries --- often successfully --- to make his prose read like it would have been written by someone experiencing these situations 30 years ago. Trying to be simultaneously innovative, entertaining and honest is a juggling act on a unicycle, but Otto is generally at his best when everything's up-in-the-air and he's peddling frantically. When the narrator's budding Marxist politics and his discussions with Iranian nationalists clash with his dawning awareness that Kansas politics has taken a sharp turn to the right, Otto makes it work.Is Otto's look into the rear-view mirror a true reflection on the 70's, or do the objects simply appear bigger than they were? Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Memoirs resonates with characters buckling under the weight of the America Dream with redemption harder to find than next snort of Cocaine.
The following book stores also have Memoirs:Direct from the publisher, $ 12.25
Amazon.com,
Powell's books,
Abe Books,
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