Earl Bockenfeld: Soul

John Denver - Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 04:10:30 GMT

John Denver - Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream

John recites the Peace Poem before launching into song.

We need him now more than ever. He was a Peace Angel while he was here. It's too bad that the powers that be didn't pay more attention to him.

Starry, Starry Nights

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:02:17 GMT

Starry, Starry Night

The paintings of Vincent Van Gogh set to Don McLean's "Starry Starry Night".

On Posting For Peace

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 18:34:27 GMT

On Posting For Peace

Glenda in the Land of Oz from has come up with a wonderful idea for this year's Independance Day celebration.

Just put Posting for Peace in your headline banner on the 4th of July and write something about why you are against the war, or post a drawing, or a photo. Whatever peace means to you. Be creative!

She says "Please let me know if you are interested in this and I'll add your link to my post."

This seems like a great opportunity for bloggers from all possible backgrounds to show our support for the soldiers and for ending our nation's bloody and disasterous war in Iraq. Tell our government that we've tried "Bring It On" now it's time for "Bring em' Home". If you're interested and/or have any questions about the details, please check with Glenda.

Glenda really is a good witch.

As the Dude said on The Blue Republic

Getting back to Glenda's original proposal for observing the 4th of July: The original intention of the commemoration was to memorialize the Declaration of Independence. It's the meaning of the words penned by Jefferson that are at the basis for our remembrance not the bloodshed of the Revolutionary War (or any other war). It's not a birthday party. Independence Day is a celebration of the themes Jefferson wrote about (and the Virginia Declaration of Rights before him):

All men have inherent rights to life, liberty, and property
All power is vested in the people
Government is established to benefit, not rule the people
Leadership roles should not be hereditary
Legislative and Executive Powers should be separate and distinct
The principles of free elections
Government can not suspend laws without the consent of the people
The right to trial by jury and to confront witnesses
There should be no cruel and unusual punishment
Provisions to eliminate unlawful searches of persons or personal property
Trial by jury is preferable and should be held sacred
"Freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty"
A well regulated militia is required to defend a free state
People have a right to a uniform government
Free government is preserved only by adherence to fundamental principles
The freedom to practice religion according to personal reason and conviction

There is no better day to call your government to task for their failure to live up to these principles than on Independence Day. This administration has taken a continued and aggressive attack on many of these freedoms. The Declaration of Independence asserts that your ultimate allegiance should be to Inherent Autonomy, especially when the Central Government ignores and denies the very instruments this nation was founded upon.

Glenda there can be no better, no more appropriate occasion to call for peace than on Independence Day, and if anyone doesn't understand that, then they should seek a better understanding of their national heritage.

Simple Organic Living

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:41:04 GMT

Simple Organic Living

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. ...Leo Tolstoy

I want to 'Tip my Hat' to B. Shilliday Left Of Center for posting this "must see" video by Woody Harrelson. I'm reposting it to include the text of the poem being narrated.

Woody's Commentary from Voice Yourself tranforming the world together

Since I was a kid I felt this need to play a role in helping Mother Earth. At the age of 12, I wrote a 50-page report (that wasn’t supposed to be more than 5 pages) on threatened wildlife and realized clearly that my Mother was being continually and forcibly raped by giant corporations intent on profit.

It’s ironic that the never-ending quest for wealth has brought such destruction to Mother Nature because the desire for money is basically a desire for happiness. But true happiness lies in nature we relax and unwind and finally realize we are just on a hamster wheel. Just walking down a tree lined street in a busy city immediately calms me. Let’s face it peace is the key to happiness. I can’t be peaceful unless I’m relaxed and I can’t do any of it unless I’m doing yoga, but I digress (I used to want to change my middle name from Tracy to Tangential because I can never follow a straight line. I prefer to get lost in getting lost I tend to have the best experiences. But back to the thread)

I see the ongoing destruction of all that is natural and want to make a difference. Our mission at Voice Yourself is to connect you with others, to share information about alternatives biodiesel, sustainable clothing companies (i.e. hemp, organic cotton and bamboo) and to get clean and natural cleansers into your hands and homes this is only the beginning. Our small, extended family will spread out across the world like good music. Thank you for contributing to the dream that we know exists. Our time is now.

See Thoughts From Within Video

THOUGHTS FROM WITHIN (Woody speaks out)

I sometimes feel like an alien creature

for which there is no earthly explanation

Sure I have human form

walking erect and opposing digits,

but my mind is upside down.

I feel like a run-on sentence

in a punctuation crazy world.

and I see the world around me

like a mad collective dream.

An endless stream of people

move like ants from the freeway

cell phones, pc's, and digital displays

"In Money We Trust,"

we'll find happiness

the prevailing attitude;

like a genetically modified irradiated Big Mac

is somehow symbolic of food.

Morality is legislated

prisons over-populated

religion is incorporated

the profit-motive has permeated all activity

we pay our government to let us park on the street

And war is the biggest money-maker of all

we all know missile envy only comes from being small.

Politicians and prostitutes

are comfortable together

I wonder if they talk about the strange change in the weather.

This government was founded by, of, and for the people

but everybody feels it

like a giant open sore

they don't represent us anymore

And blaming the President for the country's woes

is like yelling at a puppet

for the way it sings

Who's the man behind the curtain pulling the strings?

A billion people sitting watching their TV

in the room that they call living

but as for me

I see living as loving

and since there is no loving room

I sit on the grass under a tree

dreaming of the way things used to be

Pre-Industrial Revolution

which of course is before the rivers and oceans, and skies were polluted

before Parkinson's, and mad cows

and all the convoluted cacophony of bad ideas

like skyscrapers, and tree paper, and earth rapers

like Monsanto and Dupont had their way

as they continue to today.

This was Pre-us

back when the buffalo roamed

and the Indian's home

was the forest, and God was nature

and heaven was here and now

Can you imagine clean water, food, and air

living in community with animals and people who care?

Do you dare to feel responsible for every dollar you lay down

are you going to make the rich man richer

or are you going to stand your ground

You say you want a revolution

a communal evolution

to be a part of the solution

maybe I'll be seeing you around.

Words Are Power

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 05:44:17 GMT

Words Are Power

People from all over this country and all over the world have called on Bush to end this war in Iraq. We share this sentiment and stand in solidarity with antiwar activists in this and other countries. We believe that the war in Iraq is wrong and immoral. We believe that the war in Irag weakens this country. We cry out against the innocents who have been slaughtered and the soldiers dead and wounded.

Please visit the other sites below to see a tour of antiwar photos. This is the voice and the cry of those who oppose this war, those who stand against oppression and stand for justice. Please stand with us and call for an end NOW!

Read their words at:
http://considertheboot.blogspot.com/
http://www.glenda0909.blogspot.com/
http://losenoose.blogspot.com/
http://pinkfem.blogspot.com/
http://swiftspeech.blogspot.com/

Honolulu, Hawaii

Irving, Texas

Chicago, Illinois

Athens, Greece

Colbert Does the WH Correspondence Dinner

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 07:31:56 GMT

Colbert Does the WH Correspondence Dinner

I can't recall when I've seen so many unhappy reps. And he bashed the press too. He salted the earth after scorching it. Colbert rocks and has Giant Brass Balls.

WASHINGTON A blistering comedy "tribute" to President Bush by Comedy Central's faux talk show host Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondent Dinner Saturday night left George and Laura Bush unsmiling at its close.

Earlier, the president had delivered his talk to the 2700 attendees, including many celebrities and top officials, with the help of a Bush impersonator.

Colbert, who spoke in the guise of his talk show character, who ostensibly supports the president strongly, urged the Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on reality, "and reality has a well-known liberal bias."

He attacked those in the press who claim that the shake-up at the White House was merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. "This administration is soaring, not sinking," he said. "They are re-arranging the deck chairs--on the Hindenburg."

Colbert told Bush he could end the problem of protests by retired generals by refusing to let them retire. He compared Bush to Rocky Balboa in the "Rocky" movies, always getting punched in the face -- "and Apollo Creed is everything else in the world."

Turning to the war, he declared, "I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."

He noted former Ambassador Joseph Wilson in the crowd, as well as " Valerie Plame." Then, pretending to be worried that he had named her, he corrected himself, as Bush aides might do, "Uh, I mean... Joseph Wilson's wife." He asserted that it might be okay, as prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was probably not there.

Colbert also made biting cracks about missing WMDs, "photo ops" on aircraft carriers and at hurricane disasters, and Vice President Cheney shooting people in the face.
Observing that Bush sticks to his principles, he said, "When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."

Also lampooning the press, Colbert complained that he was "surrounded by the liberal media who are destroying this country, except for Fox News. Fox believes in presenting both sides - "the president's side and the vice president's side." He also reflected on the good old days, when the media was still swallowing the WMD story.

Addressing the reporters, he said, "You should spend more time with your families, write that novel you've always wanted to write. You know, the one about the fearless reporter who stands up to the administration. You know - fiction."

He claimed that the Secret Service name for Bush's new press secretary is "Snow Job." Colbert closed his routine with a video fantasy where he gets to be White House Press Secretary, complete with a special "Gannon" button on his podium. By the end, he had to run from Helen Thomas and her questions about why the U.S. really invaded Iraq and killed all those people.

As Colbert walked from the podium, when it was over, the president and First Lady gave him quick nods, unsmiling, and left immediately.

E&P's Joe Strupp, in the crowd, observed that quite a few sitting near him looked a little uncomfortable at times, perhaps feeling the material was a little too biting--or too much speaking "truthiness" to power.

Asked by E&P after it was over if he thought he'd been too harsh, Colbert said, "Not at all." Was he trying to make a point politically or just get laughs? "Just for laughs," he said. He said he did not pull any material for being too strong, just for time reasons.

Helen Thomas told Strupp her segment with Colbert was "just for fun."

Perhaps the best part was when they panned the audience and you could see the stone-faced repubs. Bunnypants has never had someone punk him like that in public. This one goes in the vault.

The Smothers Brothers must be giggling - at last justice for the bravery of comic geniuses. You might recall that the Brothers were cancelled after Pete Seeger sang "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy". I remember being very angry at the injustice of it all, but tonight - justice has been served.

The silence was priceless. And Stephen just marched on, driving the nails in further. A must-see! My favorite: "The President stands for things. He stands on aircraft carriers. He stands on rubble. He stands in abandoned, flooded city squares. There's no place he won't stand for a photo op."

eil Young's "Living With War" Here Today!

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 06:09:55 GMT

Neil Young's "Living With War" Here Today!

Click album cover to hear the full record of Neil Young's "Living With War"

Pink performs Dear Mr President Live in NYC. It's a controversial song from her new album that all people should hear.

Here it is for you - a very powerful video.

(Or, if you prefer, or you're not seeing the above video...this WMV version via Wes Clark's website...)

A Knock On The Duir

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 05:54:20 GMT

A Knock On The Duir

Watch the Video. When was the last time YOU ....

Jill Carroll Released in Iraq, Unharmed

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:04:15 GMT

Jill Carroll Released in Iraq, Unharmed

BAGHDAD Kidnapped U.S. reporter Jill Carroll has been released after nearly three months in captivity, Iraq police and the leader of the Islamic Party said Thursday. She was reported in good condition.

She told a Washington Post reporter: "I was never hurt, ever hit...I was kept in a safe place and treated very well."

Carroll, a freelance reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, was kidnapped on Jan. 7, in Baghdad's western Adil neighborhood while going to interview Sunni Arab politician Adnan al-Dulaimi. Her translator was killed in the attack about 300 yards from al-Dulaimi's office.

"She was released this morning, she's talked to her father and she's fine," said David Cook, Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor.

[The news came shortly before 7 a.m., Eastern Time. The Monitor at 7:03 a.m. posted this on its Web site: "After being held hostage for nearly three months, Jill Carroll is free. More details shortly."]

Police Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammedawi said was handed over to the Iraqi Islamic Party office in Amiriya, western Baghdad, by an unknown group. She was later turned over to the Americans and was believed to be in the heavily fortified Green Zone, he said.

Her captors, calling themselves the Revenge Brigades, had demanded the release of all women detainees in Iraq by Feb. 26 and said Carroll would be killed if that didn't happen. The date came and went with no word about her welfare.

The United States Embassy in Baghdad said it could not confirm Carroll's release.

On Feb. 28, Iraq's Interior Minister Bayan Jabr said Carroll was being held by the Islamic Army in Iraq, the insurgent group that freed two French journalists in 2004 after four months in captivity.

Jabr said then that he believed the 28-year-old was still alive, although the deadline set by her captors for the U.S. to meet their demands had expired.

She was last seen in a videotape broadcast Feb. 9 by the private Kuwaiti television station Al-Rai. Her twin sister Katie issued a plea for her release on Al-Arabiya television late Wednesday night.

Carroll went to the Middle East in 2002 after being laid off from a newspaper job. She had long dreamed of covering a war.

UPDATE: Podhoretz, according to Judd Legum, wrote:

It's wonderful that she's free, but after watching someone who was a hostage for three months say on television she was well-treated because she wasn't beaten or killed "while being dressed in the garb of a modest Muslim woman rather than the non-Muslim woman she actually is" I expect there will be some Stockholm Syndrome talk in the coming days.

I guess he would have been happier if she had allowed herself to be martyred for the cause. What a moron! Mr. Podhoretz, she was on Iraqi TV after having been released near an office of the Islamic Party. Could it be that she was respecting someone's culture and not necessarily pulling a Patty Hearst? Or is this just the muddled thinking of a numbskull who can't separate the entire religion of Islam from terrorism from resistance...

Regardless of John Podhoretz's insensitivity, naivete and ignorance, there is photographic proof that she has been treated better than civilians (or civilians) who were taken captive by the United States.

Porn Star's Rated X-cellent - So Is Her Wine

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 04:12:39 GMT

Porn Star's Rated X-cellent - So Is Her Wine

At 40 bucks a bottle, I'm sure I'll be stocking up by the case.

It seemed like the perfect gimmick: a celebrity porn star would launch her own wine, with her alluring picture on the label.

Savanna Samson did just that. But when the wine received a score of 90 to 91 out of 100 from guru Robert Parker, the project became serious. It turns out Samson, the star of "The New Devil in Miss Jones," has produced an exceptional wine, becoming the toast of two industries: wine-making and pornography.

The seriousness of the idea was lining up a respected wine maker. So she convinced Italy's Robert Cipresso -- also a vintner to the Vatican -- to join the project.

Samson went to Tuscany and tasted dozens of Cipresso's Italian-grown varieties, then she selected a mix of 70 percent Cesanese, 20 percent Sangiovese and 10 percent Montepulciano. She ordered over 400 cases.

"I knew I wanted Roberto to make my wine -- I just love his passion for wine," said Samson.

The result is Sogno Uno, a 2004 vintage of an Italian red wine packaged under the Savanna name with a label of Samson in a see-through gown. It was launched last month.

Parker has been called the most influential wine critic in the world, and a score of 90 to 95 denotes "an outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character."

"Trust me, I didn't add any points for Ms. Samson's personal presentation," Parker wrote in his review.

Samson is one of the biggest names in pornography, having won best actress in the Adult Video News Awards, the pornographic equivalent of the Oscars, and another AVN Award for a scene she shared with Jenna Jameson in last year's "The Masseuse." She has made two dozen porn flicks.

The wine "really represents who I am," said Samson.

"There's spiciness -- the Cesanese has the naughty side of me. And yet it's an elegant wine. I love the opera, and I'm a classically trained ballet dancer. And there is some chocolate undertone, which I just love. There's a little bit of sweetness. Like, 10 percent of the time I'm sweet," she said.

She is working on a white wine -- Sogno Due -- that could be out later this year, and also has ideas of expanding into champagne, ice wine and grappa.

Samson, who was raised Catholic in upstate New York, said it was pure coincidence that Cipresso also sells wines to the Vatican. She met him through her husband, a wine merchant.

"My priest said in Mass once, 'Violence or pleasures of the flesh. What is the greater of two evils?' I think we all know the answer. I felt like he was saying that toward me," she said.

Still, she never had her parent's blessing for her career choice as an adult movie star. "They were so devastated. They were terribly, terribly upset."

But while she will continue her film career, wine-making may offer some redemption. "I wanted to do something that my parents could be proud of," she said.

Don Knotts, TV's Barney Fife; Rest In Peace

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 05:35:45 GMT

Don Knotts, TV's Barney Fife; Rest In Peace

Don Knotts, who kept generations of TV audiences laughing as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and would-be swinger landlord Ralph Furley on ''Three's Company,'' has died. He was 81.

Knotts died Friday night of pulmonary and respiratory complications at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, said Sherwin Bash, his friend and manager.

Griffith, who had visited Knotts in the hospital before his death, said his longtime friend had a brilliant comedic mind and wrote some of the show's best scenes.

''Don was a small man ... but everything else about him was large: his mind, his expressions,'' Griffith told The Associated Press on Saturday. ''Don was special. There's nobody like him.

''I loved him very much,'' Griffith added. ''We had a long and wonderful life together.''

Unspecified health problems had forced Knotts to cancel an appearance in his native Morgantown, W.Va., in August.

The actor's half-century career included seven TV series and more than 25 films, but it was the Griffith show that brought him TV immortality and five Emmys.

The show ran from 1960-68, and was in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings each season, including a No. 1 ranking its final year. It is one of only three series in TV history to bow out at the top: The others are ''I Love Lucy'' and ''Seinfeld.'' The 249 episodes have appeared frequently in reruns and have spawned a large, active network of fan clubs.

As the bug-eyed deputy to Griffith, Knotts carried in his shirt pocket the one bullet he was allowed after shooting himself in the foot. The constant fumbling, a recurring sight gag, was typical of his self-deprecating humor.

His favorite episodes, he said, were ''The Pickle Story,'' where Aunt Bee makes pickles no one can eat, and ''Barney and the Choir,'' where no one can stop him from singing.

''I can't sing. It makes me sad that I can't sing or dance well enough to be in a musical, but I'm just not talented in that way,'' he lamented. ''It's one of my weaknesses.''

In recent years, he said he had no plans to retire, traveling with theater productions and appearing in print and TV ads for Kodiak pressure treated wood.

The world laughed at Knotts, but it also laughed with him. He treasured his comedic roles and could point to only one role that wasn't funny, a brief stint on the daytime drama ''Search for Tomorrow.''

''That's the only serious thing I've done. I don't miss that,'' Knotts said.

Here's a special Don Knotts treat! Don Knotts as Dubya

Corporate Angel Network: A Real Angel In The Skies

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 03:07:18 GMT

CorruptoCo Blogfest: Corporate Angel Network: A Real Angel In The Skies

Next week many bloggers will devote space to "Corporation Appreciation Week". A week where we temporarily turn the lights on in the roach-infested world of Corruptco. Before the week begins I wanted spotlight one of the best Corporate activities I know about, so this is a salute to one of the good guys that deserves a White Hat and much respect.

Corporate Angel Network is the only charitable organization in the USA whose sole mission is to ease the emotional stress, physical discomfort and financial burden of travel for cancer patients by arranging free flights to treatment centers, using the empty seats on corporate aircraft flying on routine business.

Based in White Plains, NY, Corporate Angel Network occupies an office donated by the Westchester County Airport. 50 part-time volunteers and five paid staff work with patients, physicians, corporations, flight departments and leading treatment facilities to arrange 1,200 flights a year.

Eligibility to participate in our program is open to all cancer patients, bone marrow donors, and bone marrow recipients who are ambulatory and not in need of medical support while traveling. Eligibility is not based on financial need, and patients may travel as often as necessary.

Thanks to the generous cooperation of 500 of America’s top corporations, including 56 of the top 100 in the Fortune 500, Corporate Angel Network has coordinated more than 17,000 flights since it’s founding in 1981. The program offers an obvious and meaningful benefit to cancer patients along with the opportunity for companies with corporate aircraft to provide a wonderful community service by merging business activities with social responsibility.

In 1981, three people shared the dream of using empty seats on corporate aircraft to transport cancer patients to treatment centers nationwide. Leonard M. Greene, founder and president of Safe Flight Instrument Corporation, Priscilla H. Blum, a licensed commercial pilot, and Jay N. Weinberg, then owner of a Mt. Vernon, NY Avis Car Rental franchise together developed the idea of asking corporations to accept these patients as guest passengers.

As cancer survivors, Blum and Weinberg knew how expensive and grueling transportation is for cancer patients who must fly long distances for specialized treatment. Greene too had firsthand experience, having lost his wife to cancer. He contributed his foundation, funds, business expertise, and aviation contacts to the effort.

On December 22, 1981, Greene, a pilot, personally flew the first Corporate Angel Network flight, bringing a patient home to Detroit for Christmas from treatment in New York City. From that day forward, Corporate Angel Network literally soared. One by one, corporations across America were asked to participate and one by one, they joined.

Since its inception, Corporate Angel Network has received numerous awards in recognition of its service to cancer patients, including the highest volunteer award from the President of the United States, The Volunteer Action Award. The organization has coordinated more than 17,000 regularly scheduled corporate flights with cancer patients aboard and attracted into its network 500 corporate participants, 56 of them in the top 100 of the Fortune 500.

Corporate Angel Network welcomes support in the form of cash, bequests, and donation of airline tickets. Contributions come from grateful patients for whom we have arranged free flights, from their relatives and friends, from enthusiastic individuals who want to ensure that our program is available to all who need it, from Corporations, and from foundations.

We also need volunteers. Individuals in the vicinity of Corporate Angel Network's White Plains, NY offices can volunteer to enter corporate flight schedules into the secure database, schedule flights for patients, write thank you letters to corporations and contributors, help arrange ground transportation, research and contact new corporations, solicit pro bono advertising, and help with reception and telephones. Volunteers work with patients and their families, corporate flight schedulers, pilots, secretaries, dispatchers, mechanics, fixed-based operations (FBOs), doctors and nurses, social workers, and private car operators.

Regardless of where they live, volunteers are needed to locate companies with aircraft that could become Corporate Angels, and to find ground transportation, lodging and other support services in key cities, such as Boston, Houston, Seattle, and Raleigh-Durham, where the majority of our patients are treated.

Mardi Gras 2006 - New Orleans Is Down But Not Out

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 07:19:21 GMT

Mardi Gras 2006 - New Orleans Is Down But Not Out

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- As in past years, labor attorney Eve Marie Stocker plans to fly from Virginia to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, ride costumed on a float with her mother in the all-female Krewe of Iris parade and catch up with family and friends.

This year, however, she says the mission takes on a serious note: New Orleans, venturing into an uncertain Mardi Gras season after Hurricane Katrina, needs a successful celebration to get its sputtering economy started -- and give its storm-shocked residents a break.

"Mardi Gras is a compass," said Stocker, a former New Orleans resident. "This is what's normal for the city, and everyone needs a little bit of normalcy."

Mardi Gras, which always holds a bit of mystery for outsiders with its fun, frolic and debauchery, is a mystery itself this year for New Orleans, where an estimated two-thirds of its half-million, pre-Katrina populace remains elsewhere.

Any infusion of cash will be welcome in a city that saw most of its tax base washed away by Katrina on August 29 and the ensuing flooding after levees broke. Basic services, such as police protection and firefighting, are being held together with a $120 million federal loan that will provide funding only until spring.

The city is not only ready, says Mary Herczog, author of Frommer's New Orleans and a part-time resident, this will be an amazing year to be there.

"This is a city that has gone through cataclysm, and its citizens are desperately ready to let off some steam," says Herczog, who expects a cathartic, once-in-a-lifetime experience for locals and visitors alike on this 150th anniversary of the event. "This is going to be a Mardi Gras for the ages."

The celebration, Feb. 18-28, just six months after Hurricane Katrina devastated a wide area of the city, will include just eight days of parades instead of the usual two weeks to keep costs down for the cash-strapped city. And parade routes have been shortened. But most of the parading krewes that have rolled in past years are returning. And tourism leaders, who see the event as a sort of coming-out party for the city, say the tourist districts are ready.

"When you get downtown, it's almost like Katrina didn't touch it," says Marriott's Mark Sanders, who oversees the company's 14 hotels in the city. "There's still a lot of misunderstanding, and (Mardi Gras) is a chance to really let people know that we're open."

Though the storm dealt areas such as the Lower Ninth Ward an apocalyptic blow, it largely spared the French Quarter and the Garden District, the city's key tourism areas. And major attractions, such as the National D-Day Museum and Café du Monde, long ago reopened. Harrah's casino just announced it'll reopen Feb. 17, in time for Mardi Gras.

Foodies will find almost all the big-name eateries, such as K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, Galatoire's and Emeril's, back in action (exceptions include Commander's Palace). And most tourist-area hotels are open. (Of Marriott's 14, only the Ritz-Carlton remains closed.)

The problem for revelers will be getting a room on peak days of the festival. Though the first wave of relief workers has begun leaving the city, it's being replaced by a crowd from local companies such as Harrah's that are restarting operations, Sanders says.

As of Wednesday, three Marriotts in the city still had openings for Feb. 24, starting at $229 a room. The chain was sold out on Feb. 25 and had only one hotel opening on Feb. 26 (the New Orleans Marriott, for $249).

Getting to the city is less of a problem, even a bargain, as airlines ramp up flights. Last week, Southwest said it would add 36 round-trip flights over Mardi Gras. This week, American Airlines sold non-stops to New Orleans from New York and other East Coast cities over Mardi Gras for $163 round trip.

More significant are the thousands of men and women who have decided that no place in the world is quite like New Orleans. They are rebuilding, a brick, a board, a shingle at a time, remaking their own small piece of the city that knows better than any other what life truly is.

Throughout its history, New Orleans has battled poverty, sweltering heat, epidemics and disease, fits of racism, rule by invading armies, slavery, floods from the river, and hurricanes from the sea. In every case, New Orleans has chosen its own unique way to put joy above melancholy and has birthed much of what is now most prized in American culture.

We love New Orleans. When we read the scolding of pinched-faced editorialists chiding us for planning to celebrate Mardi Gras six months after Katrina, we shake our heads: they don’t get it. Mardi Gras is our affirmation, the entire city saying, “We’re alive, we’re back, and we ain’t leaving.” To all those people, who have sacrificed a piece of their own lives to help us in our time of need: thank you. Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Bravery

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 05:20:35 GMT

Bravery

Peace Takes Courage

Ava does it again -- Bravery.

Looking For Her Bush Boom Again

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:20:00 GMT

Looking For Her Bush Boom Again

One of our bloggrrrls is getting an unwelcome visit from the beast known as the Bush economy. Melissa of the Koufax-nominated Shakespeare's Sister was laid off from her job today. The inimitable Shakespeare's Sister a "friend to this Blog and a gen-u-wine BLOGGER For Good " needs your help. She's looking for cash, and looking for a gig in the Chicago area.

Last night, Mr. Shakes and I got a notice that our property tax had been increased 100% on our matchbox of a house, and effectively immediately, our monthly payments would be increased by 20%. Then this morning, I got laid off. Wish we didn't have to, feel terrible, no money and all that.

So, I'm pretty desperate at the moment, and although I hate to do this, I'm asking for donations. If you like Shakespeare's Sister and if you can afford to, I'd appreciate it if you could help out, because now this is the only job I've got.

She has links to Amazon Pay and Paypal on her site in the left sidebar if you're a fan and want to show some love for the incredible blogging that she has done and will continue to do.

Go visit her here. Say nice things to her because she deserves them. Give if you can. Send her job leads if you can.

Just be a pal, y'know?

Friday Cat Blogging

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 07:00:08 GMT

Friday Cat Blogging

Katrina survivor William Harris was reunited with "Miss Kitty" at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, MI. Harris spent three days trapped in his home by floodwaters standing on a chair holding "Miss Kitty."

Harris was rescued but needed to leave the cat behind.

A Noah's Wish volunteer and Slidell Animal Control offier found the cat and brought her to the hospital for a tearful reunion with Harris.

1900

Tue, 20 Sep 2005 00:18:42 GMT

1900

'We'll meet Again'

Peace takes Courage.

Crossposted from GreatScat

A Brief Summary of Recent Divine Smitings

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:00:32 GMT

A Brief Summary of Recent Divine Smitings

Divine retribution is happening quickly these days, so I thought it would be helpful to put together a sequence of God's most recent smitings and their causes.

Monday, August 29th, 2005

Divine Smite: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall.

Cause: Interpretations vary. On the one hand, it's because God was listening to the prayers of Iraqi and/or Afghani parents who've had children killed by US bombs. On the other hand, it's because God, in His mercy, wanted to purge New Orleans of all of its "sodomites, abortion clinics, Mardi Gras celebrations and witchcraft workers."

Then there's Pat Robertson who believes Hurricane Katrina was an omen sent from God to warn us about the shedding of innocent blood, by which he means abortions. And don't forget the alarmists like Hal Lindsey for whom it's clear that Hurricane Katrina signals that "the judgment of America has begun."

But let's not get bogged down in details, the bottom line is that God wanted Hurricane Katrina to happen.

September 14, 2005

Divine Smite: Hurricane Ophelia To Make Landfall Tonight

Cause: Judge rules that the pledge of allegiance is unconstitutional and not appropriate for public schools. Even the most secular humanists will recognize that this is more than a coincidence!

Updated Cause: Britney Spears, Kevin Federline Reproduce

Still developing...

The Good News

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 05:33:49 GMT

The Good News
In recent weeks, a satirical attack on the teaching of Creationism in American schools has become the world's fastest growing 'religion'.

In the past few weeks, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has become perhaps the world's fastest-growing "religion" and maybe its most improbable. While no one can be sure of the exact numbers of "Pastafarians", as acolytes are called, they may number in the millions.

All of which has come as something of a shock to Bobby Henderson, an unemployed physics graduate from Oregon. According to Mr Henderson, the FSM - as His Noodliness is sometimes known - "revealed himself to me in a dream". Like most mysterious prophets, Mr Henderson communicates with the outside world only occasionally, although this may be more to do with having only one telephone line to his home in the small town of Corvallis and a Google e-mail account swamped by hundreds of messages every day.

But while the "theory" relies on the existence of a god, it does not specify which god. It was only when the state of Kansas announced earlier this year that its schools could teach ID in science classes that the Flying Spaghetti Monster made Himself widely known.

In an open letter to the Kansas Board of Education in July, Mr Henderson wrote: "I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design."

Barely three months later, Mr Henderson has discovered that he really has created a monster. His website - www.venganza.org - receives as many as two million hits a day. It has been featured on several widely read blogs, one of which is offering a $1 million (£545,000) prize for "proof" that the Flying Spaghetti Monster does not exist.

Some of the faithful have created images of their Divine Saucy Leader, including one that reproduces Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, but with the image of the creator replaced by the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Some "Pastafarians" speak of the rapture that they felt when first touched by "His Noodly Appendage" or offer prayers that end with the word "ramen" - as in the Japanese noodle - rather than "amen". Others may have been drawn by a vision of Heaven that includes a stripper factory and a beer volcano and what its founder calls the church's "flimsy moral standards".

Of the thousands of e-mails Mr Henderson has received, he says that about 95 per cent have been supportive, while the other five per cent "have said I am going to hell".

Meanwhile, true believers can now order souvenirs from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster website, including T-shirts from $13.99 (£7.50), a coffee mug and a car bumper sticker. Mr Henderson says the proceeds may be used to fund the campaign or, in the best tradition of dubious cult leaders, to buy a yacht that he has long fancied. If the sales really take off, it may also help him avoid having to take up his only job offer so far since leaving Oregon State University - programming slot machines in Las Vegas.

As for whether there will still be Pastafarians in 2,000 years from now, there are already signs of trouble ahead. Some of the faithful question whether their Noodly Saviour might be made of linguini rather than spaghetti. Such people, Mr Henderson says, "give me a headache".

Lest We Forget

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 20:58:06 GMT

Lest We Forget

I'm having a hard time not feeling cynical right now. The situation in NOLA has illuminated some of the greatest problems in the United States, and those are poverty and classism. I can't help but fear that, much like the All-American patriotic comraderie that swelled after 9/11, once the proverbial dust settles, we will all return to the comfortable oblivion of watching The O.C. and Fear Factor re-runs, maybe placating a charity or two, getting fired up around presidential elections, but not really doing much of anything that extends outside of our self-centered comfort zones. I'm guilty of doing it too. I'm guilty of being too busy, of not feeling like it makes enough of a difference to even bother, of forgetting how many people I needed and how many people still need me.

For anyone asking the blame-the-victim question about Katrina's victims' "They had warning, why didn't they leave?" I recommend John Scalzi's wrenching blog post, Being Poor. ...John Scalzi offers a great post to remind us that, in addition to the catastophic consequence of poverty that we are seeing in NOLA, there are daily tragedies, little hurricanes (to rephrase Tori Amos), that are "normal" for people who are poor. There are things you endure that you never forget and still, there are things that others have endured that I can hardly imagine.

Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.

Being poor is Goodwill underwear.

Being poor is a six-hour wait in an emergency room with a sick child asleep on your lap.

Being poor is knowing where the shelter is.

Being poor is a heater in only one room of the house.

Being poor is hoping your kids don't have a growth spurt.

Being poor is people angry at you just for walking around in the mall.

Being poor is never buying anything someone else hasn't bought first.

Being poor is people wondering why you didn't leave.

Help For Katrina's Victims

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 20:58:03 GMT

Help For Katrina's Victims

From the new site, Katrina Refugees United:

"If you are a victim of Hurricane Katrina, register with this site to let the world know how to contact you. You can give as much detail as you'd like. Then anyone visiting refugeesunited.org can quickly find out how you are doing.

If you are looking for a victim in the Gulf Coast region, you can search for your loved one's name and location. In the very near future, you will be able to post your questions to this site so that your query will be visible to anyone visiting refugeesunited.org.

This site is designed to be a central collection point for information on anyone impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Tell everyone about refugeesunited.org. We're here to help."

If you have a blog, please post this info and the link to the site. Help get the word out so these folks can find their friends and families. No central record-keeping of names has yet been created, and currently many people are scattered all over the country, some unable to remember their own names, who have been separated from the people who care for them. Spread the word.

To Everything There Is A Season

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 07:46:51 GMT

To Everything There Is A Season
And A Time For Every Purpose

(Reprinted from Making Light)

The emotional symptoms of stress include, but are by no means limited to, moodiness, irritability, and anger. Physical symptoms can include headaches, nausea, insomnia, and all manner of physical pain. (Here's a link to a detailed list of symptoms, just in case.)

If any of this sounds familiar, congratulations, you have been keeping well informed on current events. There is enough grief in the atmosphere to suffocate anybody. There are a lot of other, equally intolerable emotions, but if you're still reading this I don't need to catalogue them for you.

May I suggest that everybody here who is not physically in the front lines stop for a moment and take inventory: are stress effects starting to have a constant, or even just a distracting, effect on you, or somebody near you?

I don't mean "are you depressed," or frustrated, or angry. It would be a much bigger warning sign if we weren't. I mean, is the depression coloring everything you see, whether it's related to these events or not? Is the frustration keeping you from things that would normally define you work, pleasure, ordinary conversation? Are you constantly angry, and is the anger spilling out onto people who did nothing but be in range?

If this is happening, then I would quietly ask you to take a step back. Turn off the television, shut down the computer. They, and the crises, will still be there. Go do something else, now.

--Find a distraction and allow it to distract you. Pick up some unfinished work. Go for a walk and pay attention to every detail, even the ones that remind you of Topic A; this is about coping, not pretending it's not there.

--Read, watch a movie, put on some music. It doesn't have to be 'happy.' This is what catharsis is all about, and why there's been a word for it for so long.

--Talk to someone about something else that matters to both of you. Or, perhaps better, talk to someone you care about who's also stressed " I doubt you'll have much trouble finding someone " about how you both feel. Talk each other down. If you need to hug or cry, let it roll. In this hour, the trolls of damned-lie stoicism have no claim on your soul.

I am not asking anyone to stop assisting with relief efforts of any kind. Was that understood? Good.

All this assumes that you or yours are dealing with the effects of "ordinary" stress. If something more serious is going on " deep, unrelievable grief or depression " find counseling, sooner, not later.

Unfortunately, stress doesn't end with the event. The present crises have already created a great number of people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and there will be more, not all of them direct victims. (One powerful reason for taking time out now is to avoid being in this group.) Most of you will be aware of PTSD; dealing with it is beyond my scope here. Here is one source, with specific observations on the Here and the Now. (Yes, it's from a Federal agency. If that bothers you, there are many other sources.)

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
To live in one of those times need not mean turning one's back on the other.

More On The Flying Spaghetti Monster

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 03:42:39 GMT

More On The Flying Spaghetti Monster

This picture shows the nebula IC 8675, which as you can see is filled with Noodly structures! Not only does this image scientifically PROVE the existence of the FSM, I believe it shows His home in space."

See the earlier post: Open Letter to Kansas State School Board

The board for Beebe School District in Arkansas voted on 12 July to remove from textbooks stickers promoting an "intelligent designer" over evolution. Feedback wonders if they were influenced by an open letter to the State Board of Education in neighbouring Kansas circulated by Bobby Henderson, a "concerned citizen".

"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of intelligent design," is its crux. "I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster," Henderson affirms. "It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him."

He writes "to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories [creationism and evolution]." The full text is at www.venganza.org and includes the argument that global warming correlates with the diminishing number of pirates. There is also a discussion forum and letters of endorsements from academics and leading scientists. Below is a small sample.

"Letting the religious right teach ID in schools is like letting the Marines teach poetry in advanced combat training. As a scientist, I see these the relevancy between the two sets to be equal. If Kansas is going to mess up like this, the least it can do is not be hypocritical and allow equal time for other alternative "theories" like FSMism, which is by far the tastier choice."
-- J. Simon, PhD

"As a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist, I have often been struck by how the brain resembles pasta. Clearly, the Flying Spaghetti Monster theory is worthy of deep thought. Or at least a side order of garlic toast. Which is more than I can say about ID, which, as St. Sigmund taught, should be subservient to EGO (Equally Goofy Observations)."

--James Blackburn, Ph.D.

"Few people realize that the very 2nd word in the bible is mistranslated. The original Hebrew says " in A beginning..." whereas most translations say "in THE beginning..." And therein lies the Truth: there was more than one beginning. In fact, there were three: The 1st followed Evolution as discovered by Darwin; the 2nd followed Intelligent Design; but the 3rd and most successful is the present FSMism discovered by you. So, you see, teaching all three is imperative!"

-- Dr. Uriel Goldberg

"Having now perused the many facets of Pastafarianism (and being both a scientist and a specialist in the anthroplogy of religion), I believe that there is great scope for women in this religion. Clearly the FSM has aspects of both male and female, with both "noodly appendages" and two round meatballs which clearly represent the Breasts of the Great Mother Goddess. Given this inclusion of diversity, I feel that Pastafarianism has MORE to offer budding students than ID, which is notably narrow in its outlook."

--Susan Johnston, PhD

"As a medical practitioner and scientist, I wholeheartedly believe that every theory and hypothesis needs full consideration and explanation with formal ratification by peer review. We have a duty to inform our schools and presumably pasta should form a staple part of our educational diet."
-- Dr. A. Macintyre (UK)

"As a professional paleontologist, I need to emphasize that evolutionary theory has nothing to do with explaining the origin of life. Evolution is the scientific explanation that explains the
diversity of life that we see all around us. It is usually defined very simply as a change in gene frequencies through time. It's not about origins.

Pastafarianism attempts to explain the origins of the universe, and does so with as much or more validity (and more gusto!) than ID creationism. And maybe many people find a sense of ultimate purpose in the universe by believing in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. But such beliefs are based upon faith, not science. In fact, considering His active distortions of observable data, science cannot comment upon these beliefs at all, and must proceed in it's usual manner -- testing hypotheses based upon observable data. Whether these data have been altered by His Noodliness is moot; a difference which makes no difference is not difference.

Pastafarianism does not constitute a scientific theory, despite it's apparent adherence to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle regarding the interactions of observer and observed. It should not be taught as science ... unless, of course, ID creationism is also taught as science, in which case all bets are off.

Best of luck with your web page. I'm off to The Old Spaghetti Factory for worship."

--E. Scott

MMMMMmmmmm, spaghetti"
--H. Neville, Ph.D.

Bobby Henderson said when contacted by lawyers asking how serious I am about pursuing legal action against the Kansas School Board if they refuse to give equal time for FSMism. His answer: very. If it happens, he will need an army of like-minded Flying Spaghetti Monsterists on his side. He recommend you start hunting around for Pirate regalia.

Email him: bobby.henderson@gmail.com

Pump Aid, Water For Life

Wed, 03 Aug 2005 05:17:59 GMT

Pump Aid, Water For Life

Outbreaks of water borne disease are becoming increasingly common in schools as existing systems for water supply break down and children resort to unprotected sources such as open wells and dams. This crisis threatens the lives and education of many thousands of children, regardless of whether food relief reaches the schools in time.

Due to a shortage of firewood, villagers in a rural area in Zimbabwe weren’t boiling the drinking water they collected from an unprotected supply. After two small children and an elderly teacher died from dysentery when a snake fell into their water source and decomposed, an Englishman, Ian Thorpe, working as a teacher at the time, along with other villagers, decided it was time for a change and founded the organization Pump Aid to provide safe drinking water for poor rural communities in Africa.

When Ian and his group realized the potential of rope pumps they developed their own based on a 2000 year old Chinese design and called it the Elephant Pump. The Elephant Pump is cheap, durable, simple to construct and maintain and, most importantly, sustainable. Just recently, Pump aid has won the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment.

Pump Aid builds appropriate technology water pumps that can be maintained by poor rural communities without any outside assistance. These pumps provide clean drinking water and can also be used to sustain crops during the dry season or through periods when rains fail, as they have done this year.

Pump Aid was founded by people who belong to and understand the community in which they are working. A deep understanding of traditional Shona culture has allowed the team to work closely with others in the community to develop a programme that is sensitive to the cultural context in which it operates. Many other projects have failed due to ignorance about the cultural considerations of development. Pump Aid on the other hand, has set new standards for working with poor rural communities in a way that is sensitive to traditional values.

Pump Aid is currently prioritising poor schools for assistance. There is a desperate need for a reliable supply of clean water. Out of 1078 schools in Manicaland (the eastern province of Zimbabwe) over 700 have sent applications for Pump Aid for assistance.

In some cases, schools now face closure due to cholera outbreaks caused by a lack of clean water. Without clean water, children cannot attend school since their lives are at risk. An average school has about 500 children and 12 teachers. One school pump costing just 200 pounds will supply clean water for all these children, the teachers and some local families.

In many cases, water from the Elephant Pump is also used to irrigate a school vegetable garden. Produce can be used to raise money for the school or can be taken home by the children when food at home is short, such as in this year of famine.

For general information, send enquiries to info@pumpaid.org

E-mail the Director: IanThorpe@pumpaid.org

Pump Aid is a registered charity, number 1077889

So we have an Englishman installing pumps based on Chinese design into Africa. Globalization doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

We Are Not Afraid

Sun, 10 Jul 2005 07:10:53 GMT

We're Not Afraid

Show the world that we're not afraid of what happened in London, and that the world is a better place without fear.

Great collaborative photo blog with contributions from all over the world.

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration, I will face my fear; I will permit it to pass over me and through me, and when it has gone past me, I will turn to see Fears' path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain. And live my life. Not afraid. Frank Herbert's "Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear"