bling kong's revenge

 

quick job posting

if you're html savvy and want to earn a quick $60 for a couple hours of work, IM mobiustrip44 or e-mail me.

Who knew Underdog was real!?

Imagine getting hit by a car and then to deal with the pain you get shot in the head. That’s not enough though. Now you’re stuffed into a body bag and placed in a freezer for 2 hours! One would think that’s enough to kill you, right? Ahhh, no.
This may seem like a marketing ploy combining the new X-Men movie & RHP’s new album but it’s not. Don’t fk with Dosha, she’s a death defying bitch!

ph34r the r0s3n

investigative journalist greg palast has discovered that the woman who single-handedly slaughtered "fair-use" and now seeks federal approval to hack your computer, hillary rosen, is drafting iraq's new intellectual property legislation. thankfully, rosen will be leaving the riaa at the end of the year. but does this act foreshadow a venture into politics? could you imagine attorney general hillary rosen?

30 Friggin' Gigs, Batman!

I nearly ejaculated when I saw this.

connecting the world one head at a time

peep friendster ..and if we's friends, throw me up on your listpiece.

Regenerate Your Headpiece, for the 2nd time

The moment you've either all been waiting for or couldn't care less about is here....


Regenerated Headpiece is back with their sophmore release, Dogfight

Check out these streaming MP3's:

Escape From Slavecamp
Saloon Funk
Fragments of Segments of Tangents

(Big shout out to Mobiustrip who worked the graphic design.)

RHP guarantee that all Jakeneckers will feel this record or they'll club a baby seal.

By picking up this cd, you help Jakeneck and your brain.

The official "Dogfight" album release party will be May 8th @ the Elbow Room, NYC, 8PM.

just received this email from the baseball hall of fame...

Dear Friend:

We have received thousands of letters, e-mails, and phone calls about the cancellation of the Bull Durham events scheduled for April 26-27. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a very special place - a national treasure - and my responsibility is to protect it. Politics has no place in The Hall of Fame. There was a chance of politics being injected into The Hall during these sensitive times, and I made a decision to not take that chance. But I inadvertently did exactly what I was trying to avoid. With the advantage of hindsight, it is clear I should have handled the matter differently.

I am sorry I didn't pick up the phone to have a discussion with Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon rather than sending them a letter.

We are so lucky to have Baseball - a game that unites us as Americans. The events of the past week show us all that The Game burns brighter than ever and continues to stir passions in many people.

Our wish is that every American will visit Cooperstown and join us in celebrating Baseball, our national pastime and the greatest game of all.

My Best Wishes,
Dale Petroskey
President

more on the economics of war

this one slipped under the radar back in february...so i'm unearthing it. i am not an economist. i have never taken economics. hell for the most part, i don't even understand economics. but here's some interesting fodder... we're all aware that the dollar is getting the shit kicked out of it by the euro. but were you aware that iraq, one of the world's largest oil producers, switched over to the euro in late 2000?

could the preservation of the failing dollar in fact be the real reason behind the war in iraq?

if you're in the cali area...

Group Show: 23 Drawings by Timothy Leary and Other Works

Light Space Gallery
1732 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice

Works created by the well-known 1960s psychedelic drug researcher and guru based on his youth movement rallying cry, "Turn on, tune in, drop out." Works by friends of Leary, including William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Douglas Rushkoff, Paul Krassner and Winona Ryder will also be displayed.

Through Jun. 7
Thu.-Sat., noon-6 p.m.

Information: 310-301-6969

madonna h4x0r3d

everyone's favorite attention whore & washed-up entertainer, madonna, (whom i feel guilty about extending further publicity to by blogging her right now) was the victim of a recent website defacement. after the culture-leech flooded the internet's p2p networks two weeks back with bogus mp3 tracks off her new album that, rather than containing music, had loops of her rudely asking "what the fuck do you think you're doing?", a hacker replaced her homepage with his response, "this is what the fuck i think i'm doing," which was followed by links to real mp3s from her new album that was not to be released for another week. w00t! don't fuck with the l33t!

the creative resistance continues now with the madonna remix project, a website that plays host to a collection of original music which utilizes madonna's "wtf" loop. (c/o cDc)

[update 4/28, 9:23 am] here's more on madonna's co-optation of che guevara.

prospects of peace

according to the palestinian-run jerusalem media & communication centre, 59.9% of palestinians support suicide bombing. is it any wonder when the palestinian authority airs things like this on television?

portrait of the artist

beck's got a blog

the black djinn

Sunday, April 27th

THEE MAJESTY will be premiering their new line-up at Tonic
featuring GENESIS P-ORRIDGE, BRYIN DALL and introducing LADY J

Also appearing, PAUL RUBENSTEIN and MICHAEL GIRA & THE ANGELS OF LIGHT

8 PM, $12

TONIC
107 Norfolk Street
212 358 7501

All new Genesis P-Orridge website by The 44 coming soon!

w00h00

judge sticks it to riaa

the amazing pc pedaler

need a good workout but can't seem to get away from the desk? check out nerd gym.

i hang my head in shame

for the first time in 14 years, america's nuclear labs have returned to making warheads.

fnord or not fnord?

mars' moon is m.i.a.

obey molded figurines

wheatpasting socialist shepard fairey action figure anyone?

w00t

ren & stimpy return to primetime june 26 on tnn!

rupert murdoch...

scum of the earth

mta: majorly thieving assholes

mta cooked books to win fare hike

peace profiteers

Here are some suggestions for how to invest without supporting the military-industrial complex.

pssst...

wanna buy some crack? speaking of which, dig the logo for the dea's operation x-out:


yes kids, that's the grim reaper wearing a pacifier and holding a glowstick, dancing in a dark room streaking with laserlights.

kinda makes ya think don't it? ...think how fucked up this fuckin' propaganda war is. sheeeeit. makes me wanna smoke some weed and listen to freeware protest songs.

omfg

dyncorp to handle iraqi security

more randizzle

big sugar vs. the w.h.o. (c/o boingboing) | pbr: not just for white trash anymore! | this is not helping my impressions of israel | revolution is not an aol keyword | if saddam's out of business, why are we still imposing sanctions on iraq? | madonna writing kabbalistic children's books | singer nina simone has passed away | the crawling lurker is 10 times iller than the real doll

Music Downloads Get Official Chart in the UK

If this is any indication of the future of the industry, then Maybe Chuck D was right when he said that the MP3 is the new 45. (c/o Globalhiphop)

randizzle my nizzle

bush sr. on why war in iraq was a bad idea (the first time around) | why bush jr.'s domestic policy is a disaster | the t.s.o.g.a continues: feds hire "privacy czar" | save on gas, burn your trash | when kiddie porn's not kiddie porn | the million pixel man march | psychedelic republicans | here's one more reason to become a vegetarian | hbo yanks stone's fidel doc for being too soft on the dictator | who controls iraq's oil?

woohoo!

4:20 @ 4:20 on 4/20!

Save Fantasy Garden

The struggle between New York's communities and urban development sadly continues, as the city of New York has recently auctioned off the community gardens of Brownsville, Brooklyn, to various housing developers. Now, after the demolition of three gardens in Brownsville thus far, one remains awaiting demolotion: Fantasy Garden on Legion St.

Fantasy Garden has existed for 7 years, serving the community with a place to grow food and medicine. It is a place where local schoolchildren often play and learn, and a place beloved by the community.

Initially set to be bulldozed this past Friday, a group of activists occupied the garden, camping out over the weekend, in the garden's defense. Tomorrow (Monday, Apr 21), the developer, DeCosta Headley, plans to return with bulldozers to see to the garden's final end.

More activists are needed to participate in civil disobedience, possibly risking arrest, and thus there is also a need for legal and medical support. The activists are currently equipped with lockboxes and are planning to do a lockdown if necessary.

Please show your support, and help save our city's endangered gardens. Contact Helen Mason, garden caretaker, at 718-495-4704 or Aresh at 917-518-9987.

Fantasy Garden
Legion St. & Blake St.
Brownsville, Brooklyn
Saratoga Ave. off the 3 line

Read more about this issue in yesterday's New York Times, on NY1, or on NYC IMC.

War is Peace! Sharing is Stealing!

The RIAA wins again. If you're a Verizon member, the RIAA now has the backing of the US Gov't in its efforts to hunt you down for file sharing.

who can you trust?

was ism activist tom hurndall firing on israeli soldiers at the time of his wounding? (c/o lgf)

gay metal?

fear pink steel

and your little dog too

randomokun

sign up with buddy zoo and find out how cool you is ... it's like 6 degrees for AIM | nyc's smoking ban claims the life of a bouncer in the east village | at least jesse the body didn't wear his costume to work | is bush really against war in syria?

Big Lurch Likes Lung

As long as crazy shit like this keeps happening, hip hop music is never going to be recognized by the public at large as a valid artform. And as long as these thug idiots keep perpetuating this sort of behavior, there's no reason the public should.

the invasion begins

american corporations are wringing their hands over potential—ahem—exploits in freshly "liberated" iraqi markets. one must ask what sort of effect western influence will have on traditional islam. will big macs corrupt the middle east? or have they already. halal mcnuggets anyone?

stick a sock in it

the 2003 muzzles have been awarded by the thomas jefferson center for free expression, honoring those great enemies of the 1st amendment whom we so dearly love. who should top the list? but none other than old johnny ashcroft, of course.

ahimsa jihad

after scouring the web looking for articles relating to nonviolence, i've created a new resource on nonviolence and active resistance called ahimsa jihad. the site has numerous links a wide array of e-texts inlcuding essays, full books, and otherwise. hope someone finds it useful.

high weirdness by web

so i'm writing this rhyme and looking on google to see if "horusian" is a word inferring the demonology of the egyptian god horus, when i find a reference to the term on the website of some crazy cult-community in italy, founded by a faith healer named oberto airaudi, called federation of damanhur.

Founded in 1977, Damanhur is an internationally renowned center for spiritual research. Situated in Valchiusella Valley, in the Alpine foothills of northern Italy, Damanhur is a Federation of Communities and Regions with over 850 citizens, a social and political structure, a Constitution, 50 economic activities, its own currency, schools and a daily paper.

buh—you'd think you'd have heard of 'em!

The path proposed by Oberto Airaudi leads to the awakening of the inner Master in each one of us, through study, experimentation and the full expression of individual potential in order to overcome dogmatic attitudes. At the basis of this thought is the conviction that every human being partakes of a divine nature which is to be awakened within, through constant and continuous interaction with others.

geez! if you think that sounds attractive, check out their hidden underground temple! (err... hidden underground temple? -cough-cough-creepy cult-cough- but...) the art is amazing.

anyway, back to rhyme writing. tho i'm still not sure what horusian means.

hey ladies

take your phone sex to a whole new level

protesting the double standard

a boston senator wants protesters to pay the law enforcement costs of demonstrations.

''These antiwar protesters are so hypocritical,'' said Lees. ''They stand out there with their signs that say don't spend our money on war. They should add a line that says don't spend our money on war, but spend it on arresting me.''

did the senator ever stop to think that the police go to great excesses when approaching the issue of these demonstrations? this is after all a non-violent peace movement.

interestingly, the police seem to care little for pro-war demonstrators, who are themselves avowing violence, nor for anti-abortion activists who seem to rally all the time with no police intervention despite their long history of extremist violence.

our friend isabel called me early in the morning last week to tell me she was driving to work and a huge contingent of pro-life people were rallying in front of a clinic (much like we rallied in front of carlyle's affiliate this monday) and that there were no police present at all, for the full duration of time that she was stuck in traffic due to the rubbernecking caused by the protest.

why are anti-war demonstrators considered so violent that we need 10,000 police to monitor our protests, and people who bomb clincs and kill doctors are free to rally without interference? it seems like a grave double-standard and one that needs to be addressed.

in other news, several protesters were arrested disrupting a session of the u.s. senate this week, chanting anti-war slogans during a vote on a military spending bill. go them!

randomotica

statue scene staged? | sony to make "shock & awe" videogame | yes, it is about oil | as if you didn't know already, here's why d.a.r.e. is a failure | 10 ways to tell if your co-worker is an alien | all new get your war on

good lord that's a lot of money

details of halliburton's contract to put out oil fires in iraq have been released, and it's official: those fuckers are getting $7 billion. (c/o darieus)

now i know why it's raining

famed percussionist baba olatunji has passed away

a new world order

all the locals hide their tears of regret
open fire cos I love you to death
sky high, with a heartache of stone
you'll never see me cos i'm always alone

how to love without a trace of dissent
i'll buy the torture cos you pay for the rent
tied high with a broken command
you're all alone to the promised land

i'm in love with this malicious intent
you've been taken but you don't know it yet
what you will know must never live to be found
cos it's the subject of the eyes of the drowned

—"n.w.o.," psalm 69, ministry

it's coming

Let's Rename it The Hall of Fascism

The Baseball Hall of Fame has cancelled a 15th anniversary celebration of the great Ron Shelton film Bull Durham because of antiwar criticism by Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, who appear in the picture. Hall president Dale Petroskey, a former White House assistant press secretary under Ronald Reagan, sent a letter to the actors this week telling them the festivities scheduled for April 26-27 in Cooperstown, N.Y., had been called off.

"We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important — and sensitive — time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger," Petroskey wrote in his letter. "As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict."

Reading this story, one can't help but feel disgusted. Hasn't The Hall of Fame ever heard of free speech? Are they trying to send a message that to be anti-war is to be anti-American, and to be anti-American is to be anti-baseball? Who the hell does this fascist Petroskey think he is, politicizing the game like this? Really.

What if they learned that Willie Mays was against the war? Would they take his plaque down?

til that fat lady sings

with the war in iraq looking closer to over every day, it would seem futile to continue protesting the war, right? i mean, sure they never found any chemical weapons...what difference does that make? it's over! the iraqis yanked down a statue and stole office furniture! so what if their children are missing limbs and the others will suffer deformities from depleted uranium. they don't seem to mind. they've got freedom chairs!

i mean, sure, american corporations entrenched in the current administration are circling overhead like vultures awaiting a contractual feeding frenzy. that's just our tax money, not theirs. we're through... so it don't matter, right?

does this mean us "lefty hippie commie fucks" can pack up our posters and go about our usual lives now?

not a fucking chance. get ready for gulf war 2, round 2.

i mean, geez, what do these guys think? they're gonna take over the middle east?

oh, right.

diggin' up the dirt

your favorite conspiracy theorist and mine, alex jones (of waking life fame), interviews bbc journalist greg palast, the man who uncovered bush's orders to end surveillance of the bin laden family prior to 9/11, about his new book, which explores corrupt cash-politics in america.

war games

dr. strangeblix | headwindow | saddam dress-me-up | 10 minute tank blast | the antithesis thereof | and along those lines, kaboom! the suicide bomber game | skybolter 3D | and the mother of them all, america's army (c/o brunenzone — en español & totally not safe for work)

sunset provisions?

what sunset provisions?

illest. concert. ever.

after ordering tickets for bjork at coney island*, i decided to see what my chances were for making it down to bonnaroo this year. bonnaroo is an annual two day festival in manchester, tennessee with the sickest lineup of any concert festival ever:

The Dead, Widespread Panic, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, James Brown, The Allman Brothers Band, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Jack Johnson, moe., Galactic, Alison Krauss & Union Station feat. Jerry Douglas, The Flaming Lips, The Roots, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Emmylou Harris, Medeski Martin & Wood, Sonic Youth, The funky Meters, Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, The Wailers, Nickel Creek, G. Love and Special Sauce, Tortoise, Toots & The Maytals, Sound Tribe Sector 9, O.A.R., North Mississippi Allstars, Warren Haynes, Keller Williams, Garage A Trois, Ben Kweller, Mix Master Mike, Polyphonic Spree, Kid Koala, Z-Trip, Particle, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, The Slip, Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey, DJ Spooky, Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons, Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, The New Deal, RJD2, My Morning Jacket, Topaz, Vusi Mahlasela of Amandla!, Drive-By Truckers, Robinella & the CC String Band, Kaki King, RAQ, Jason Mraz, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players.

can you say "holy fuck?!" that shit's better than woodstock! unfortunately, it's sold out. but not to fret—the festival is coming to long island (for the first time) in august! woohoo! i can hardly wait! fuck lollapalooza.

oh..and on a side note, can you fucking believe that joan osbourne has joined the grateful dead? wtf?!

*who wants to come wif to the bjork show, btw? i got two extra tickets.

oink oink skree part 2

i've created this handy stencil [pdf] for labeling the locations of war profiteers [pdf]. enjoy!

ink and drink

the people's poetry gathering, lower manhattan's "woodstock of words," kicks off this friday, with readings and panels throughout the lower east side at such venues as the bowery poetry club, angel orensanz, the nuyorican & two boots theatre. give the schedule a looksee... some good shizzle goin' on.

oh, and april 11 is poem in your pocket day. (c/o johnny cracka)

welcome to the minority

a newly conducted poll by the washington post reveals that only 16 percent of americans are opposed to war in iraq. need i reiterate that it's time to move?

progressive politics

belgium moves forward, america moves back

107 arrested at carlyle

audblog audio post

[update 2:00pm] info on today's demo available at m27coalition.org.

Call Police Comissioner Ray Kelly 646-610-5410 or Mayor Michael Bloomberg 212-788-9600 and demand the release of the Carlyle arrestees!

A protest was held this morning at the offices of the Carlyle Group, an investment fund that will profit from the war on Iraq. Protesters blocked the entrance to the building and were arrested in an organized civil disobedience.

But then police surrounded the legal protesters gathered across the street and refused to let them leave. There was no order to disperse, and those who tried to leave were stopped. The police then began arresting people whose only "crime" was to hold a sign protesting the war on Iraq! About 50 people, most of whom have had no CD training whatsoever, were arrested and are now being held at One Police Plaza.

Call and demand their release! 646-610-5410 or 212-788-9600 and ask why they are being held, when they committed no crime. Call any elected official you can think of and ask them to apply pressure.

We must support these people who have simply exercised their constitutional right of free speech and lawful assembly and are now in jail!

SPREAD THE WORD FAR AND WIDE! RELEASE THE CARLYLE ARRESTEES!

get details of the arrests from the plc.

there's little to no coverage of today's demo online. the only stuff i found was on ny1. look at how they spin this bullshit:

"Police made some arrests Monday at a demonstration outside the Midtown headquarters of a company that, according to protestors, is profiting from the war in Iraq."

yeah, ok, try 107 arrests, most of which were illegal arrests. then, as far as our profiteering allegations go, read this and this. how could the nation's 11th most powerful defense contractor possibly profit from a war? that would be an anathema. idiots.

it goes on to say, "Dozens of student, community, religious and labor activists protested outside the Carlyle Group. The demonstrators said the investment firm manages some $14 billion in assets, including stakes in a number of defense-related companies. The group's website claims former Secretary of State James Baker and former President George Bush have ties to the company."

maybe these bastards can start fact checking by looking at carlyle's own website which specifically states baker's connection to the organization, as well as several former reagan administration officials. as for bush, a simple google search would reveal his ties to the company as a senior advisor. carlyle also has no shame in revealing their assets on their own, which total over several billion dollars.

but no... we're just wingnut protesters. we fabicrate our facts. we protest cuz we don't have jobs and have nothing better to do (as we were oft accused today). fuckin' aol time warner bastards.

welp, we got rid of 400 pamphlets, met some great people, and encountered a lot of assholes. i think 5th ave. has to be the most shallow, wretched street in the world. i'm glad to be back in brooklyn.

[update 3:16pm] nbc video on today's decoy die-in | reuters chimes in at end of a piece on today's demo in oakland, ca | cnn coverage tows carlyle line

[update 5:58pm] EMERGENCY PROTEST TONIGHT (Mon., 4/7) AT 6 PM - ONE POLICE PLAZA (take 4,5, or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge). The M27 Coalition and United for Peace and Justice are calling for an emergency protest tonight to demand the release of these illegally arrested activists.

carlyle tells newsday we weren't even at their offices | photos c/o IMC

war & profit: the carlyle connection

later today (monday, thus meaning this morning, as it is 1 am now) several of us are planning to take part in a direct action against the carlyle group, one of the nation's top "offense contractors," in front of the company's new york city offices. we have created literature to distribute at this event, and offer it here to those who wish to join us, or just to read about carlyle and why we have chosen to target them specifically.

download: lo-res pdf | hi-res pdf

stranger than fiction

fark asks, "what if fox news were around during other historical events?" check out my entry here.

oink oink skree!

alex meyer is a fucking genius.
based on a very simple idea i proposed to him (i said i wanted a bunch of pigs branded w/corporate logos eating out of a trough that's actually a coffin, painted like an american flag with dead bodies hanging out of it), a fine friend and illustrator, created the above image to be used on posters, shirts, and otherwise. praised be eben!

click here to download a pdf of the above image.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/1.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

more moore

Michael Moore's new film, Fahrenheit 911 will investigate the connections between the Bush and Bin Laden families. The film is being backed by Mel Gibson's Icon Films (Mel is a republican, figure that out) and is due out two weeks before election day 2004. Let's just hope he doesn't get martyred in the process.

i love when chris nine leaves me voicemail

weapons of mass distraction

today i joined congregants of harlem's riverside church, and other members of new york's faith communities, in participating in a mock funeral procession for the dead and not-yet dead in iraq. the event commemorates the 36th anniversary of martin luther king jr.'s speech against the vietnam war at riverside church. incidentally, it is also the 35th anniversary of dr. king's assassination.

we gathered at grant's tomb at 122nd st. & riverside drive this morning at 9:30, and, led by a new orleans style dixieland band, carried six caskets to bryant park at 42nd st. there, several leaders of the christian, muslim, and jewish communities gave rousing speeches against the war and the bush administration, in support of our troops, and in memory of dr. king.


i served as a pall bearer for the casket representing the social programs which will perish in the wake of increased defense spending. it was not necessarily my choice of cause, but they needed someone on that particular casket, and i offered to help.

on our legal, police-escorted march down 5th avenue, we were cursed at, yelled at, flipped off, and one man in a pick up truck started driving into us while we crossed an intersection. many people engaged us angrily while others threw up peace signs and gave us applause. the majority, however, as expected, reflected indifference. the most resistance came from middle-aged middle-class white men.

here's abc's report / the ny times / cbs / ap / journal news ... i'm waiting to see the rest of the coverage... on the march i was filmed by cnn, nbc, abc, & cbs. when fox news stuck a camera in my face, i proclaimed "FOX NEWS IS BULLSHIT! YOU SHOULD SPELL IT F-A-U-X!" while staring directly into the lens. their reporter started telling me off. i summarily dismissed him and continued on my way. it was a redeeming moment.

hear the rest or read it... part 1 | part 2 ...forgive me, i have a cold

the conclusion i came to, on this march, was that whether or not saddam hussein is a tyrant, or even a threat, is a non-issue. just as politicians attempt to draw attention away from truly pertinent issues during an election cycle, by obfuscating them with non-issues (ever notice no one talks about the failing drug war, or campaign finance reform?), so do the detractors use weapons of mass distraction to draw attention away from the greater issues pertaining to this war, with such non-issues as who provided the chemical weapons, french loyalty and the like. i don't believe that one anti-war demonstrator will contest the fact that saddam hussein is a sick, sick man, that ought to be deposed. the question is as to whether or not we can entrust this action to those who have taken it upon themselves to do so.

why does no one make mention of the fact that dick cheney received $36 million from halliburton just prior to entering office, and soon after 9/11, awarded the company a contract to rebuild guantanmo bay's detention centers and, now, most recently, to put out the oil fires in iraq? the department of the interior took notice—they announced that halliburton could no longer bid on contracts for iraqi reconstruction. however they can still act as secondary contractors—outsourced agents of the winning bidders. is such quid pro quo actually legal?

how many people must die so that companies like halliburton can line their pockets with our tax dollars, or so that others, like the carlyle group, can pad their IPOs? how many american soldiers have to die in defective sikorsky helicopters before we stop buying them by the hundreds? how many more chemical weapons can we test on our own troops to increase the bottom line of companies like monsanto who have 18 former executives holding cabinet positions in the current administration? how many more "blowback enemies" can these "offense contractors" arm before we finally recognize the arms dealers—defense contractors and politicians alike—as the true threat to global stability? the pigs are feeding at the trough, and that trough is a coffin.

they dare to call us unpatriotic, but we're out here fighting for those same americans who are too damn unaware of what's happening around them—too susceptible to the propaganda, too asleep—to recognize and fight for themselves. they try to corner us and call us unamerican... they tell us, "move to france," "you should be supporting our troops!" they try to strangle us with our own words, to shut us up... run us into endless circles of argument. and we can only stare in disbelief, with our jaws agape, as we try to express: "you are getting robbed, snap the hell out of it!" because as long as you're arguing, you're not paying attention to the hand in your pocket. you're too distracted.

we are not endangering ourselves by laying down in traffic because we oppose regime change in iraq, but rather because we are concerned that those who seek regime change do so only for their own financial gain, and not for the reasons which they contend. so many of us would not take such serious action without just cause. do not believe the impressions cast upon us by the media: we are not being foolish.

three columbian women were recently arrested who had "preyed on men by smearing their breasts with a powerful drug and luring the victims into taking a lick, before making off with their wallets and cars." transposed to this moment, that drug, is fevered patriotism, those breasts, the bounty of war, those ladies are supposedly our representatives, and they are making off, in our cars.

thus, i don't even want to hear about saddam, wmd, and all that nonsense anymore. anyone who harps on these points is merely avoiding the real issues. and at this time, i don't have the time nor patience to hear it. i'm currently being robbed, and i intend to do something about it.

you can say that again

''What we need now is not just a regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need a regime change in the United States." —Senator John Kerry

anti-war crooner croaks

War-huh / What is it good for? / Absolutely nothing / Say it again / War-huh / What is it good for? / Absolutely nothing / Yeah / War-I despise / ‘Cos it means destruction / Of innocent lives / War means tears / To thousands of mothers how / When their sons go off to fight / And lose their lives / I said / War-huh / It’s an enemy of all mankind / No point of war / ‘Cos you’re a man

edwin starr, the man who sang the anti-war anthem "war," has passed away. (c/o isabel)

war profiteers wear sheeps clothes too

i discovered these stickers adorning phonebooth after phonebooth, and kiosk after kiosk, while walking around the lower east side this afternoon. dozens, everywhere. t5s is triple 5 soul, an ultra-trendy urban fashion label, widely popular in new york city. frankly, i like their gear, but my impression is quickly changing.


the image on the right is that of the revolutionary fist, known as a symbol of solidarity with various political struggles, and notorious for its affiliation with black power. the image on the left is the conquering lion of the tribe of judah, an image revered by rastafarians as a metaphor for emperor haile selassie i. rastafarians are revolutionary in nature, in that they struggle against the oppression of babylon. the obvious example of this idea's expression is bob marley's classic album rebel music. thus, the impression given, is that triple 5 soul is itself revolutionary. the stickers declare, "revolution's in! look, we're down with revolution! want to feel revolutionary? buy our clothes!"

so unfolds my suspicion of this marketing campaign as an attempt at co-optation. what strikes most is the timing of this sticker-bombing campaign (frankly, not unlike diesel's previous campaigns, such as "happiness is brought to you by diesel"), in that it has surfaced during a time when protest culture is teeming at the brim due to the current political climate. perhaps it is an innocent show of solidarity with the struggle, but considering the exorbitant prices for t5s' garb, and the very nature of the fashion industry and its relationship to coercive advertising, it is more likely that t5s is attempting to associate their brand with the vitality and momentum of the current anti-war movement, and thus be seen as an ally, and more importantly as a prospective retailer.

the lesson is that not just oil tycoons and weapons dealers profit from war. the fashion industry and the entertainment industry (with their revolutionary rock bands, for example) perceive lefty radical types as a market to be conquered: middle-class, college educated white kids, eager to spend their fresh earned paychecks—a demographic wet dream, and a gross generalization at that. and so, by co-opting images of revolution and using them as marketing devices, these companies profit from anti-war sentiment, hence representing another, less-recognized form of war profiteers, that deserve an equal amount of scrutiny that the more obvious culprits receive.

  
with that said, you know you're fucked when madonna's appropriating your culture. on her latest album, american life, she styles her image after cuban revolutionary leader ernesto che guevara.

first tefillin, now this. ugh.

them damn crazy protestors...

what will they do next? we're not telling ... but i'm thinking about investing in one of these (c/o relicious)

Who knows what to believe any more?

"U.S. Foreign Policy is the greatest threat to U.S. national interests and the safety of our citizens," - Nidal Sakr

The March for Justice website features some pictures from the frontlines. This is the supposed "Shock and Awe" Photo Gallery.

If you get easily bugged out by gore, do not check this link. This is some disturbing sh!t.

a sad day for autonomy

nyc's favorite anarchist collective, abc no rio, has just issued the following, heart-wrenching notice:

Due to the rapidly changing neighborhood and new political climate the following changes will be instituted immediately.

• The Saturday Afternoon Hardcore Punk All-Ages Matinee will be replaced by the new All-Ages Bingo Game and Prayer Circle.
• Sunday Poetry Readings will will be replaced by the Sunday Afternoon Wine & Cheese Brunch (competitvely priced at $25/plate).
• The Zine Library will soon be renovated as a joint Starbucks and Barnes & Noble reading room/cafe.
• To avoid the potential misunderstanding and association with terrorism, Food Not Bombs will change it's name to Food Not Islam, or Food Not Bad Things.
• The Darkroom, Printshop and Computer Center have been annexed by Kinkos. Fees will be raised to appropriate levels.
• All artwork and leaflets will be sent to the Office of Homeland Security for review and comment before being displayed.
• Musicians performing at COMA, No Rio's series of experimental and improvisational music, will now limit themselves to performing covers of Kenny G. songs.
• Politically controversial meetings that take place in the building will be video-taped for security purposes (these tapes will be shared at any time with local law-enforcement personnel).
• The ABC No Rio slogan "Culture of Opposition Since 1980" will now be "Culture of Accomodation Since 2003."
• And there will be no smoking or drinking anywhere in the building at any time for any reason.

Thanks for your cooperation while we go through these growing pains.

haha, april fools.

a small victory?

the ondcp is yanking their drugs=terror ads ...and also the study that proves they didn't work

u.s. attacks human shields

the u.s. military is apparently killing indiscriminately, whereas today they attacked a bus load of american human shields and killed nine children in a related incident. who knows...they probably did it on purpose. "that'll teach them fuckin' hippies a lesson!"

yomasayo to your aunt

kim jong's got a license to ill (c/o supanamja) | ol' frenchy's turnin' the tables | penn state is threatening students with fines and imprisonment for swapping mp3s on their network

reap what you sow part 2

the federal energy regulatory committe reports that cheney & his cronies rigged the california energy market

a beautiful day for a bomb scare

these photos were taken outside the jcc by my co-worker max this morning.

  
left: a bomb squad agent examines a suspicious package at an amsterdam ave. storefront (b/t 75 & 76 sts.). right: the road block which consumed amsterdam ave. (b/t 80th & 72nd sts.) this morning.
apparently paris, the framing shop across the street from the jcc, had some broken glass to throw away last night, but rather than leave it in an open container, they sealed it so that children or any other random on-comers would not injure themselves. unfortunately for them, trash men not only refuse to take suspicious sealed packages (especially ones with a french return address, such as this one), but they are also required to report them to the police. hence the uptown shutdown we experienced this morning.

just about says it all

pro-war vs. anti-war rheotric in a nutshell

real savage

this guy scares the fuck out of me. last night on his radio show, mike savage called us anti-war protestors "traitors" and "treasonous garbage" and said that groups like the ruckus society, who teach tactics for direct action, should be tried under anti-terrorism legislation and taken to guantanmo bay. likewise goes for former msnbc correspondent peter arnett (whom he repeatedly called benedict arnett) for his fair and balanced reporting which cost him his job earlier this week. "who makes these journalists above the law," asked savage, angrily. he railed against embedded journalists, saying, "no one wants to see the civilian body count," while repeatedly invoking september 11th as just cause for this invasion, as well as uttering such happening catch phrases as, "we're in it! now we gotta win it."

hey mike, you asshole, it's called freedom of the press. i'm standing up for my civil liberties, my rights and freedoms, and you equate me with terrorists? you call yourself an american patriot? you're an american fascist! the only link between 9/11 and iraq was the boost it gave to military contractors like united defense who were at a standstill during the clinton era, but now have multibillion dollar contracts extending out their gaping assholes. don't fucking kid yourself. this was all orchestrated to rob the american coffers blind while they do the same to iraq's oil fields. god i hate that guy!