Monday, August 25, 2008

'68 Re-Enactors Keeping It Real; Keeping It 'In The Streets!' Where'sthe PortaJohns?




Folks who want to add a dimension of 'other world' to their lives find meaningful weekend entertainment as Re-Enactors - living the dream on the weekends and at gatherings through the summer. There Are of course Revolutionary War Re-Enactors, Civil War Re-Enactors, WWII Re-Enactors, and now gathered in Denver for the DNC 2008 - 1968 Re-Enactors! Depends and PortaJohns did not attend the 1968 Democratic Convention - leave them at home! Cops acn't eve use 'Night Sticks' anymore -'Them's for More Than Parades, Rookie!' Make Do!

Debra Sweet, national director of The World Can't Wait/Drive Out the Bush Regime, said many would-be protesters have been "demobilized" by Democrats' thus-far unfulfilled promises to wind down the war. She also blamed "the police state" for suppressing Sunday's crowd.

Jackson said the city has prepared for protests on a par with Chicago in 1968 and Seattle in 1999, which resulted in widespread violence and arrests. Chicago's Democratic convention in 1968 is best remembered for its police crackdown on demonstrators, as is Seattle's World Trade Organization conference in 1999.


Click My Post Title for the full Magilla!

So You Want to Be A Re-Enactor?

The first thing you will need to do is choose the side you will fight for, or if a civilian impression might be what you want to do. I would highly recommend actually finding the unit you wish to join before buying anything! Most units will have a person in charge, or at least a list, to instruct new recruits on what to purchase and where to purchase it. If you go out and buy a lot of equipment that is not right for the particular unit you will be representing, you will have wasted a lot of money. Hopefully, you will want to be as authentic as possible and wearing a uniform or carrying equipment that is incorrect will ruin your impression.


http://www.cwreenactors.com/recruits.htm

For Authentic '68 Street Theatre Please Note Well:

There are two ways to apply the term "wannabe hippies". One is a derogatory meaning, that they try to look and act like hippies but really don't have a clue as to what it's about. To them it's just a fashion statement, nothing more.

Then there's the more positive meaning, indicating that the person(s) wants to be a hippy, but just hasn't learned and experienced enough yet to truly understand where we are coming from. These individuals are attracted to various elements they've seen and are really turned on to the underlying message. These people will soon join the new generation of hippies, which is a very real phenomenon.

Unfortunately the first definition is the prevailing one, used to put down those who really aren't interested in what hippies really think and aren't interested in rejecting the existing system, just in looking the part because it's cool. They usually realize their mistake by the time they're in high school. Yes, this is a teenybopper phenomenon and is totally meaningless in the scheme of things.

But the Next Generation of Hippies, is indeed real, and important. And their numbers are growing daily. They are idealistic and committed to changing the world, even if only by changing themselves, as you wish to do. Yes, that is the first step.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
- Mahatma Ghandi



Authentic Hippies and Their Enemies - To Be Like Them You Must Will To Be Them:

Famous Hippies, Friends and Enemies.

The following list of people includes those who influenced or were part of the hippy movement as well as those who sought to repress it. Some of these outstanding individuals have devoted much of their lives to causes that benefit everyone. Many have suffered as a result of their beliefs and actions. We list some musicians here, but for more music go to the Hippy Music with a Message chapter!

Agnew, Spiro: Vice President during Nixon's reign, he antagonized almost everyone, but especially liberals with his pompous verbal ranting. He claimed the antiwar movement was the work of "an effete corps of impudent snobs." He survived a bribery scandal but was convicted of income tax evasion. He was forced to resign much to everyone's delight. Recently declassified FBI files show Agnew did receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks as Governor and Vice President.
Baez, Joan: Singer, songwriter, antiwar activist, called the "Queen of Folk". Joan was arrested for her participation in antiwar rallies, and her ex-husband David Harris spent several years in jail for draft resistance.
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh: Also know as OSHO. Controversial Indian guru who had a large American following. In his ashrams (communes) in Poona, India and Oregon he taught liberation through the release of personal inhibitions. His methods included gestalt therapy and sexual freedom. Cult members showered wealth upon Rajneesh and he had dozens of Rolls Royces.
Brand, Stewart: A hard working, future looking hippie who blends philosophy with activism. Brand produced the Whole Earth Catalog, The Trips Festival, founded The WELL, the Point Foundation, Global Business Network, the Long Now Foundation, the Co-Evolution Quarterly. He's on the board of directors of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Browne, Jackson: Songwriter, singer, record producer, activist. Browne is a prolific songwriter and has written tunes for The Eagles, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band as well as several very successful solo albums like The Pretender, Running on Empty, and Lives in the Balance. He also was involved in organizing rock concert fundraisers for the anti-nuclear movement.
Bruce, Lenny: As a standup comedian in the '50s, Lenny felt nothing was sacred. So he joked about racism, drugs, homophobia, nuclear testing, and abortion. What made him famous was his unmitigated use of profanity. He was arrested many times, for obscenity and narcotics. He paved the way for others to exercise free speech, and inspired just about every comic since.
Burroughs, William S.: Beat author wrote autobiographical books like "Junky" and "Queer" about his life as a drug addict, murderer and homosexual. His controversial, cut-up style "Naked Lunch" is his most famous work. Burroughs' thing was personal freedom. To him this meant breaking all the rules, which he did whenever he could. Burroughs' talent is undeniable. Despite (or because of?) being a junkie, he was able to convey what it's like to be living on the dark edge of reality. His intake of all sorts of drugs obviously inspired some people to experiment. Many beats and hippies can relate to Burroughs' life situation as a social outcast from mainstream American society (remember much of this happened in the 50's). Burroughs wrote about those things that no other writer of his time (except Allen Ginsberg) would consider suitable subjects. Indeed the publishing and subsequent banning of Naked Lunch turned into a landmark case for free speech in America. Burroughs influenced many around him including other authors and musicians.
Captain Beefheart: Singer, songwriter, sculptor and painter. Beefheart (Don Van Vliet), has had an unusual musical career making very strange music. His extraordinary vocal range includes a deep raspy voice as shown on Frank Zappa's "Hot Rats".
Carlin, George: Comedian. George Carlin turned us on with his "Let's Get Small" routine. He pushed the envelope with his "Seven Dirty Words" and ended up in court on obscenity charges. He's still doing his shtick, and stirring up controversy.
Cassady, Neal: The inspiration for Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's On The Road and The Dharma Bums, Neal linked the beat generation with the hippies by joining Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters on their Bus trip across the U.S. (as the driver!) in 1964. He was part of the famous "Acid Tests." Neal sought the freedom of the open road and could rap endlessly in stream of consciousness style about everything.
Castaneda, Carlos: An Anthropologist at UCLA, Carlos wrote a series of books about the shamanic tradition of the indigenous people of Mexico. His apparently first hand accounts of life as a sorcerer's apprentice ignited decades of controversy as to their reality. His portrayal of himself as a bumbling student of Don Juan, the powerful brujo, are now literary classics. The journeys he took on the path of the warrior through the world of spirits inspired many to seek out what lies beyond our perceptions. His books include: A Separate Reality, Tales of Power and The Eagle's Gift.
Chavez, Caesar: Chavez was the charismatic leader and founder of the United Farmworkers Union. He championed the underpaid, underrepresented migrant farm worker. Chavez organized the five-year grape boycott. Chavez helped to inspire Chicano activism of the 1960s and 1970s, combining the lessons of the civil rights movement and nonviolent protest with Mexican-American traditions and values.
Cheech & Chong: Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong hit it big with their comedy act on several recordings and movies. Their stoner humor made us laugh hysterically, particularly when we too, were stoned. By laughing at them, we laughed at ourselves and for awhile life seemed less serious.
Cleaver, Eldridge: Author of Soul on Ice, written during his nine years in prison. After his release he joined the Black Panthers and became their Minister of Information. Involvement in a gun battle forced him into a seven-year exile.
Coyote, Peter: Actor, author, member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, one of the original Diggers. His new book Sleeping Where I Fall, tells of his days in S.F.
Cronkite, Walter: Uncle Walt was considered the most believable broadcaster in U.S. history. In 1968, he broke the code of neutrality among major newscasters, by opposing the Vietnam War in a national television broadcast. His integrity is still unquestioned.
Crumb, Robert: Famous cartoonist of the '60s and '70s, Crumb introduced the world to his somewhat depraved, yet humorous visions via Zap Comics, Mr. Natural, and Fritz the Cat. His inspired and unique style captured the essence of the times. Always the social critic, Crumb used his art to convey the anti-establishment sentiment that swept the country.
Dass, Ram: also known as Dr. Richard Alpert. Author of Be Here Now and Grist for the Mill. Worked with Timothy Leary at Harvard on LSD studies. Alpert was so changed by the ingestion of LSD, he left his post and wandered through India, where he met his Guru and changed his name. Finding enlightenment he returned to write several books and do the lecture circuit.
Davis, Angela: Radical black teacher at UCLA. She was dismissed from UCLA in 1969 due to her radical politics. She was a Black Panther and made the FBI's most wanted list in 1970 on false charges. She became an icon as an intelligent, outspoken radical young black woman.
Donovan: aka Donovan Leitch. With his song "Mellow Yellow", Donovan made the music scene in the '60s. His sensitive voice, spacey lyrics, and unusual arrangements evoke a very hippie feeling. Other hits include Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man and Wear Your Love Like Heaven.
Dylan, Bob: Dylan exploded on the music scene in Greenwich Village in the early '60s. His blend of rock and folk ballads took everyone by storm, and in turn inspired just about every rock musician who was to follow in his footsteps. His early songs "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They are A-Changin'" took the protest song and gave it an edge.
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers: Gilbert Shelton's popular comic about the adventures of three stoned out hippies.
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence: Poet, publisher and owner of the City Lights Bookstore in North Beach, San Francisco. Part of the beat scene in San Francisco, Ferlinghetti published Allen Ginsberg's controversial poem "Howl" in 1957, which landed him in jail, but lead to a landmark decision upholding free speech.
Fonda, Jane: Actress daughter of Henry Fonda, Jane made a name for herself as a political activist when she married Tom Hayden, one of the Chicago Seven. Jane was also outspoken and made a controversial trip to Hanoi, North Vietnam during the war. Now married to CNN creator Ted Turner.
Gandhi, Mahatma: Once a lawyer in South Africa, Gandhi came to India and fought British oppression through the pioneering use of non-violent protest. His methods were adopted in the '60s by the civil rights and antiwar movements. The confrontative, yet passive techniques are now the standard for peaceful protest.
Garcia, Jerry: Musician, songwriter, artist. Jerry was a founding member of the Warlocks and Grateful Dead. His varied musical influences including Blue Grass, Rock, and Jazz enabled him to establish his own genre of music. With the Dead, the ultimate hippie band from San Francisco, he became a cult figure and was worshipped by fans. His laid back attitude and lifestyle was a sharp contrast to the lives of many egotistical rock stars. For thirty years Jerry Garcia and his faithful band brought hallucinatory music to their legions of fans.
Gaskin, Stephen: Stephen gained famed for his Monday night classes at San Francisco State where he talked about hippy values. When he took to the road his students followed and soon there was a caravan of wandering gypsies, 400 people in 60 vehicles. He eventually settled down with them and started The Farm, an ongoing Tennessee commune which pioneered organic and alternative methods of agriculture, education and social interaction.
Ginsberg, Allen: Controversial Beat poet from the '50s who wrote about following your instincts and free love. "Howl" (1956), is one of Ginsberg's most famous poems. Along with his friends Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, he helped define and document the activities of the Beat Generation. Ginsberg was active in the anti-war movement appearing at rallies and also the Human Be-In. Ginsberg is credited with coining the term "Flower Power".
Graham, Bill: Rock impresario whose Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, and Fillmore East in New York highlighted the best rock acts of the sixties including the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, the Jefferson Airplane and more.
Gregory, Dick: Comedian, author, black activist survived more than 100 hunger strikes to protest discrimination, the Vietnam War, and drug addiction. His autobiography "Nigger" sold a million copies. Lately he is involved in promoting nutritional solutions to world hunger.
Grimshaw, Gary: Very prominent graphic artist well known for his posters and flyers of rock bands that passed thru Michigan in the late 60's-early 70's. His body of work reads like a who's who in the 60's music/counter-culture scene.
Guthrie, Arlo: Son of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie, Arlo made a name for himself with his record Alice's Restaurant. Arlo's folk rock style combines protest and storytelling.
Harrison, George: Beatle, musician, activist. George was responsible for bringing the eastern influence into the Beatles. He got them to meditate with the Marharishi, use sitar in their recordings, and gave the group a more spiritual focus. George has been active in many causes including the Concert for Bangladesh which tried to raise funds for the flood victims.
Hayden, Tom: Political activist, one of the Chicago Seven, ex-husband of Jane Fonda. Now he's a congressman from California.
Havens, Richie: A unique style of rhythm guitar combined with his passionate vocals makes for an unforgettable experience. At Woodstock he sang 'Handsome Johnny' and 'Freedom' to open the event.
Hendrix, Jimi: The greatest guitar player ever. Jimi could coax sounds from his axe that no one had ever heard before. His guitar mastery has impressed every great musician since. His on stage persona and charisma is unmatched. Jimi gave legendary performances at Monterey Pop, Woodstock, and the Fillmore. He died at the peak of his career. Jimi was a great soul who soared so high he was able to take us along for the ride of our lives.
Hoffman, Abbie: Co-founder of the Yippies. Author of "Steal This Book." One of the Chicago Seven. Outspoken advocate of anarchy, Abbie challenged authority every chance he could. By his outrageous actions he tried to highlight the hypocrisies inherent in the system.
Hoffman, Albert: Sandoz company scientist who inadvertently discovered the mind transporting properties of LSD.
Hoover, J. Edgar: Infamous Director of the FBI who kept an enemies list in the '60s. Included just about everyone active in the counterculture, even politicians and musicians. If your name was on that list, the FBI was spying on your activities. Hoover ordered many illegal acts to fight the antiwar, black power, and other movements that sought change and a redistribution of power.
Huxley, Aldous: Author of the famous science fiction novel, Brave New World, and the ground breaking Doors of Perception, Huxley explored the inner realms of the mind. His thirst for the insightful psychedelic experience led him to LSD, which he ingested as he lay on his deathbed.
Joplin, Janis: Blues singer extraordinaire. Janis could belt out the blues like no one else. Her performances at The Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock were legendary. With Big Brother and the Holding Company they blew everyone away with their psychedelic blues. Cheap Thrills, their debut album featured a classic cover by Robert Crumb and the hits Summertime and Ball and Chain. Janis' grief stricken life came to an end with a drug overdose in 1970.
Kerouac, Jack: Beat author wrote "On the Road" and 'The Dharma Bums', about the freedom of living each day as it comes. He inspired a whole generation to get backpacks and take to the road. His beat friends Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady appear in his works. Kerouac coined the term "Beat Generation" to describe his friends and the phenomenon.
Kesey, Ken: Famous author, Merry Prankster, Ken wrote: "Sometimes a Great Notion" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." His famous Acid Tests were the first LSD parties with music and light shows. His legendary 1964 psychedelic cross-country trip in a brightly painted bus inspired many hippies to do the same.
King, Martin Luther: Leader of the Civil Rights movement, Dr. King was a firm believer in non-violent protest to achieve the goals of integration and economic, political and social equality for all people.
Krassner, Paul: Humorist, founding member of the Yippies, and publisher of the Realist newspaper, he's been called the founder of the underground press.
LBJ - Lyndon Baines Johnson: He became President of the United States upon the death of John F. Kennedy. Was elected in 1964 and served another four years. This Texas democrat was responsible for the buildup of forces in Vietnam and was in office during the bloodiest fighting. Along with the next president, republican Richard Nixon were considered the epitome of the government run by the military-industrial complex that prospered during the Vietnam war. These two presidents highlighted the generation gap as they found it impossible to see the world from a youthful perspective.
Leary, Timothy: The psychedelic guru, acid impresario, prolific author, unchallenged hero of the free your mind movement. "Turn-on, tune-in, and drop-out." Those words inspired a generation to experience the mind-expanding capabilities of LSD. Leary's determination to experiment and turn on people got him kicked out of Harvard and Nixon called him "The most dangerous man in America."
Lennon, John: Beatle, poet, artist, activist, singer, musician. One of the great figures of the 60s. Controversial, he once said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus (he was right at the time). He sang about love and peace and his music inspired millions. He was murdered outside his apartment building in 1980.
Leopold, Aldo: Naturalist, conservationist, author of "The Sand County Almanac," a classic in ecology. He helped found the Wilderness society and wrote about preserving the 'balance of nature'.
Maharaj-ji: Also know as Neem Karoli Baba. Famous Indian guru who established over 100 temples in India. Thanks to Ram Dass, his disciple, many westerners made the pilgrimage to visit this holy man.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Famous guru to the Beatles, Beach Boys, and other famous personalities. First everyone went to visit him in India, then he bought his teachings to the U.S. Emphasizing the power of meditation, he drew a huge following among the hippie generation.
Manson, Charles: Convicted along with his followers of the 1969 murders of Sharon Tate and the La Biancas. Manson had created his own cult out in the California desert. In his warped mind, he believed that John Lennon's song "Helter Skelter" was a call to war and mayhem. He used mind control to get his followers to do whatever he wanted. He is still serving his life sentence.
Marley, Bob: Rastaman supreme. The charismatic Bob Marley and his band the Wailers burst onto the music scene in the early 70's bringing Reggae into the world. His music about love, Jah (God), freedom and equality touched so many people and inspired many hippies to become rastas.
Max, Peter: Hippie artist famous for album covers, movies, paintings, advertising. His colorful, flowing style graphics had a great influence on art in the 60s.
McGovern, George: Democratic candidate for president in the 1972 elections. He lost out to Richard Nixon. McGovern was supported by liberals and hippies. We can only wonder, what might have been...
McKenna, Terence: Ethnobotanist and author of the book Food of the Gods, about organic psychedelics. Terence is a popular speaker and visionary who likes to focus on discovering our place in the universe, our reason for being here, and the future of mankind.
Mitchell, Joni: Famous Canadian singer, composer and songwriter. Joni's excellent vocal range is evident in music that varies from folk to blues to rock to jazz. One of the great songwriters, her constantly evolving style has resulted in varied success on such albums as "Blue", "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" and "Mingus". Most famous for writing the song "Woodstock" which CSN made into a hit.
Morrison, Jim: Poet, anarchist and debaucher, Morrison was a passionate, if somewhat psychotic visionary. See the psychedelic shaman section for more about Jim.
Mountain Girl: Aka Carolyn Adams. One of the Merry Pranksters. She lived with Ken Kesey, and had his child, then married Jerry Garcia.
Nixon, Richard M.: Republican President of the United States from 1968 until his resignation in 1973, after the Watergate scandal led to an impeachment vote. Nixon provoked the anger of hippies with his dirty tricks, refusal to deal with protesters peacefully, ordering the spying upon leaders of the antiwar, black power and other counter cultural movements, as well as the deeds of his cronies.
Owsley: Owsley Stanley, also known as Bear, manufactured LSD for the first acid tests in San Francisco in the 60's. Colorful Owsley acid is legendary for its purity. Bear was also the original soundman for the Grateful Dead.
Pryor, Richard: Considered the black Lenny Bruce, Pryor was famous for his standup comedy and movies replete with four-letter words. His humor attacked racial stereotypes. His crack cocaine addiction nearly killed him.
Rubin, Jerry: Co-founder of the Yippies, one of the Chicago Seven. He and Abbie Hoffman pulled outrageous stunts to poke fun and make serious statements about our society. One such stunt was throwing dollar bills onto the floor of the NY Stock Exchange, disrupting trading as brokers got down on the floor to pick up the money.
Russell, Bertrand: British philosopher, anti-nuclear and antiwar activist, logician, essayist, and social critic. In 1954 he condemned the Bikini H-bomb tests. A year later, he and Albert Einstein, published the Russell-Einstein Manifesto demanding the curtailment of nuclear weapons. He was the founding president of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958 and designed the Nuclear Disarmament Symbol, now called the "peace symbol."
Shankar, Ravi: Famous sitar player from India. He wooed the crowd with his mastery at the 1967 Monterey Pop festival and got a very long standing ovation and thus became a legend. He taught George Harrison how to play the sitar in 1966.
Simon, Carly: Singer and songwriter once married to James Taylor. Carly had hits with "You're So Vain", "Anticipation" and 'That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be".
Smothers Brothers: Famous comedians and musicians of the 60s, Tom and Dick Smothers had a top rated TV variety show until it became too controversial and was canceled by CBS. Seems they spoke their minds too often, usually protesting the Vietnam War, police brutality and racism.
Sinclair, John: A dude from Michigan who got put in prison for ten years for selling two joints to an undercover cop. His conviction was overturned thanks mainly in part to John Lennon and seven others who organized a movement to set him free. Lennon even wrote about him in a song: "It ain't fair, John Sinclair..."
Snyder, Gary: Beat Poet, Buddhist, professor. Snyder is perhaps most famous for influencing Jack Kerouac and the Beats and turning them on to Buddhism.
Spock, Dr. Benjamin: His baby book was The Bible to mothers of the hippy generation. He was against spanking children, and his non-violent stance carried over when those same children were sent to war. He spoke and marched at many peace rallies and counseled draft evaders. For this he was sentenced to two years in jail.
Steinhem, Gloria: Feminist author, founder of Ms. Magazine.
St. Marie, Buffy: Singer, songwriter, activist. Since the early '60s, Buffy has been writing protest songs about war ("Universal Soldier"), Indian Rights and the Environment. Her song "Up Where We Belong," sung by Joe Cocker, won an Academy Award.
Taylor, James: Singer, songwriter. Taylor's "Sweet Baby James" album was a big hit. He was married to Carly Simon.
Tiny Tim: Famous for his one hit record, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." With his shrill falsetto he became a cultural icon of the hippy movement. Popular but unattractive, the mini-ukelele playing Tim eventually found love, Miss Vicki, and got married.
Twiggy: English model who made being anorexic popular in the '60s. Twiggy modeled the latest colorful, psychedelic fashions on her extremely thin boy like frame. Her slender build, big sad eyes and short haircut set her apart from other models of the day. Today she is an actress and has filled out a bit.
Warhol, Andy: Pop artist supreme, Andy was a scene himself. He took the icons of popular culture and turned it into art. Some of his most famous works feature Campbell's Soup Cans and Marilyn Monroe. Andy filmed several low budget films of questionable quality including: Trash and Frankenstein (in 3D).
Wavy Gravy: aka Hugh Romney, Merry Prankster, Hog Farm leader, clown, Acid Test Graduate, and so much more. A person who embodies the hippy spirit especially helping his fellow man. Now a flavor of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. At Woodstock '69, the Hog Farm helped feed the assembled multitude. Wavy Gravy announced from the stage, "What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000."
Winwood, Steve: Talented songwriter, singer, keyboardist, Steve played with Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith before going on to a successful solo career. Steve was also a session man and sat in with Hendrix and B.B. King
Yogananda, Pramahansa: Founder of Self-Realization Fellowship, guru, author. Yogananda taught Bhakti (devotional) Yoga and has quite a following. His book "Autobiography of a Yogi" is very inspirational.
Young, Neil: Canadian musician got his big break writing and singing with Buffalo Springfield. His popularity soared when he teamed up with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Neil went on to produce his own great solo recordings including After the Gold Rush and Harvest. Neil's style ranges from hard rock, blues, folk ballads to country. His heavy rock is credited with inspiring grunge music. Some call him the grandfather of grunge. His slightly off key vocals don't appeal to everyone, but when he's singing with CS&N, he fits right in!
Zappa, Frank: Famous musician from the 60's and 70's. His group The Mother's of Invention's first album, entitled "Freak Out" was very popular and way out, even for it's time. Zappa's music was a very wild, creative, but dissonant satire on society. Zappa coined many expressions and became a icon of the lack of respect for the establishment. A popular college poster from the 60's showed Zappa with his long, wild and stringy hair sitting naked on a toilet. The title was Phi Zappa Crappa. Frank's children Dweezil (son) and Moon Unit (daughter) have dabbled with music too. Despite Zappa's outward persona, his real personality was far different and at one point he became a vocal opponent against drugs.

http://www.hippy.com/article-170.html

Dig It!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Obama/Rezko/Davis/Cullen Davis Gate: It Cost Taxpayers Millions of Dollars, Swings One Way,Falls Off and Killed Curtis Cooper






Neither the Chicago Tribune nor the Sun Times ( because Tim Novak is not on the story) made the connection to Barack 'One House'Obama to Tony Rezko and Allison Davis, a white guy termed 'Mayor Daley's link to the African American Community.'


Allison Davis is 'Mayor Daley's link to the African American Community.' No other links, associations, reachers-out, heads-up guys, liasons, or friends in the African American Community - Allison Davis. Allsion Davis is the go-to-guy whenever Mayor Daley needs a link to the African American Community.Not Senator Barck Obama.
Not Ike Carothers. Not Jackie Heard.Not Elzie Higginbottom.Not Dempsey Travis.

Nope Allison Davis. Allsion Davis who was Barack Obama's Law Boss. Back in April of 2007, Tim Novak was on the story and should continue to be on the story for STNG, but they want this tale to fade. Here is what Tim Novak, the only real newsman on the Sun Times, had to say about insulated Progressive lawyer Allison S. Davis.

When Barack Obama took a job at a small Chicago law firm in 1993, the first name on the door of the firm was Allison S. Davis.

Five years later, having left his Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland firm, Davis invested in Antoin "Tony'' Rezko's final government-subsidized, low-income housing project, state records show, in a deal handled by Davis' former law firm.

Davis and Rezko also went into business together, building upscale homes in the booming Kenwood neighborhood where Davis lives. The legal work on those deals was also done by Davis' former law firm, where Obama was working.

Davis, 67, and Rezko are still business partners "in a technical sense,'' Davis said in an interview, though he added, "There's nothing going on in the last couple years.''

He said he didn't recall how or when he met Rezko, a businessman and political fund-raiser under indictment on federal charges that include demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state pension investments under Gov. Blagojevich.

While Davis was running the law firm, he was also a board member of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp., a not-for-profit company that hooked up with Rezko's Rezmar Corp. on tax-supported projects to rehabilitate apartments for low-income tenants. Davis' firm handled the legal work on those housing deals.

Davis has long been an influential member of the Woodlawn community just south of the University of Chicago. His father was the university's first African-American professor. Since 1991, Davis has been a member of the Chicago Plan Commission, appointed by Mayor Daley, a friend.

Four years ago, Blagojevich appointed Davis to the Illinois State Board of Investment, which controls state pension funds -- one of a series of appointments the governor made at Rezko's request.

Tim Novak


Novak says that Davis's Pa was African American? Guess I was mistaken! Must be true - Davis ain't a white guy then. Pictures never really tell the story. Surface value journalism is also misleading. Get Novak back on the case.

Yep, Tim Novak on a story is like Sterling on Silver. He is such a pitbull that he could dig up my dreams ( don't go there, Tim).

Instead, to make any sense of the non-investigation into the death of Curtis Cooper by our propaganda journalists we need to flip to the New York Post.

Here is a piece that considers the Davis/Rezko/Obama connection important.


In October 1998, Obama wrote city and state officials, urging them to give Rezko $14 million to build an apartment complex outside of Obama's state Senate district. The Chicago Sun-Times noted last year that Obama's request included 855,000 in "development fees" for Rezko and for another developer, Allison Davis, who happened to be Obama's old law-firm boss. Obama's spokesman said it was just a coincidence that the state senator wrote letters to obtain millions of dollars for his two longtime friends. ( emphasis my own -because . . .gee, isn't that kind of a red-flag?)

In fact, Obama was a dependable ally of subsidized developers in the Legislature, giving Rezko and others broader help as well. In "The Case Against Barack Obama," I identify and parse six housing bills with which Obama was closely involved. A few examples:

* In 2001, Obama cosponsored a bill allowing developers to sell state tax credits to others and pocket half of the proceeds.
* In 2002 and 2004, he was chief cosponsor of a bill to authorize a rent-subsidy fund giving "grants . . . directly to developers" of low-income housing. Seventy percent of the money was earmarked for the Chicago area.

* Obama cosponsored the Illinois Housing Initiative Act of 2003, which required the governor to develop a plan for more low-income housing and "provide[d] for funding for housing construction and rehabilitation and supportive services."

* In 2003, Obama voted for the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act, which required Illinois municipalities to make 10 percent of their housing units "affordable" (by definition, this included subsidized housing). This forced 46 communities just outside of Chicago to create more than 7,000 new "affordable" units - a huge boost in demand for area developers. The bill also provided loopholes for developers to circumvent local ordinances and regulations.

After voting for this measure (it passed narrowly), Obama then cosponsored a new bill that moved up its implementation by more than a year.

These and the other Obama-backed bills helped make millionaires of Rezko and other slum developers at taxpayers' expense. The developers - including his former law boss and an adviser to his current campaign - reciprocated, together giving and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Obama's campaigns.

To sum up: Obama got them subsidies to build. He secured them a steady income of government rent subsidies. He arranged special tax credits and abatements for them. He backed measures that increased demand for their services, and helped them legally circumvent local laws.

Perhaps Obama acted with only the poor in mind. Yet some of his developer friends weren't so conscientious - especially Rezko.

Notably, Rezko's company claimed that it lacked the funds to heat one of its 11 buildings in Obama's state Senate district from December 1996 to February 1997. But Rezko still managed to write a $1,000 check to Obama's campaign fund on Jan. 14. That month, his tenants shivered as 19 inches of snow fell on northern Illinois.

With his early and large investments in Obama, Rezko helped the Democratic nominee get to where he is today. Obama, meanwhile, helped Rezko with his legislative work and his letter-writing. Given this close working relationship, the Obama-Rezko land deal is far less surprising.

David Freddoso, a political reporter for National Review, is the author of "The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media's Favorite Candidate."


All this stuff is out there for us paper readers at Kean Gas Station each morning. The people who Medill snobs think are too stupid to matter. Well, listen up! We have jobs, families, lives, interests and activities that bring people together. We share thoughts and opinions. Millions of us! We read and we remember what we read. We also control the impulse to buy a paper - we just might glance at it without buying it while we have coffee and crullers. That's revenue denied to you dopes. Guerilla Theatre as the Hyde Park Mafia might opine.

And Obama worries about John McCain's Houses. McCain is a Tightwad! I have raised ranch and a thirty year mortgage and the number of homes in possession really upsets me!

Hell, the cheap bastard! If I shared Cindy McCain's money, with her say so of course, I'd have houses in Peotone, Martinton, Braidwood, Coal City, Custer Park and Papineau, Illinois as well as Sidona,AZ - but I guess that it is a dry heat there.

Obama can stand some heat - Dry, or Wet, Obama will not get any heat form the Cupcake Mules slinging ink for Chicago papers. Tim Novak is a pitbull and he can bring the heat!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

John McCain: McCain Has Killed Kittens, Pushed Blind Cripples in Front of Buses and Predicted an Obama 15 Pt. Bounce! Meanest Man Alive!


John McCain is Mean! He called a boy who merely asked him a question, 'a little jerk!'

Keith Olbermann has named John McCain 'Worst Person' in the World and coming from a troubled fat boy who shudders throughout the day when repressed memories of his days as a lonely boy himself surfaced like bubbles in a tepid water-filled bathtub - toying tearfully with a dog eared Rocky Colavito from Topps and preparing for his next un-pantsing at the hands of loutish athletes, that means something; Keith knows. The bullied become bullies.

I imagine John McCain lifts pads of butter at Denny's across this great country of ours and smears railings in nursing homes and the odd men's door knob. Of course, only after asking the Denny's waitress for a chilled glass of dehydrated water -'Yes, Sir, Senator!'

I see the Senator Glad Wrapping toilet seats after serving guests gallons draft beer hundreds of yards from the house.

No doubt a proffering of delicately fried Tortilla Chips, marshaled around a festive Guacamole dish filled with Wasabi and garnished with intricately cut limes, cilantro, and diced tomatoes would be ideal for those Press Barbecues.

But this week, Senator John McCain crossed the line! If the 18th Century artist William Hogarth could have witnessed McCain's vile act, he would have engraved cuttings for a Fifth Level of Cruelty ( Stage One -small animals; Stage Two - villainy and robbery; Stage Three Murder and Seduction; Stage Four Cruel Perfected and the Fifth Senator John Sidney McCain!

McCain told one of the pencil neck geeks at Huffington Post that he expects the Obama Campaign to take a 15 Point Bounce after the Democratic Convention. ( Click my post title for this shameless act of cruelty.

My God, Sir! These are Half-wits,with whom you are having sport! You, Senator are . . . I'm sorry I can not go on!

But it is damn funny! What's next asking a room full of nuns, 'Is there anyone I have not slept with here today?' Telling a blind kid 'Hey look at that Sunset!'

Asking Keith Olbermann, 'Getting Any?'

Tribune Updates the Cullen Davis ( Dad was Obama's Law Boss) Complicity in Boy's Death


The Tribune updated its story on the death this summer of Curtis Cooper and the complicity of the property managers United Property Advisors (UPA)that is raking in millions of dollars from the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA).

Yesterday's article deftly stepped around the 'alleged' crumb in the unhappy accident that caused Curtis Cooper's death - Cullen Davis.

Cullen Davis, like William Ayers, is the wee lad of a well-connected Lefty Dad, who has his own bundle of problems with the Feds.

Yesterday, I posted a rather piquant prose philippic that noted the obvious and glaring side-step around Cullen Davis and his well-juiced Dad.

The Tribune locked Mayor Daley into the tale, which makes sense, but seemed to give a complete pass to Allison Davis. Allison Davis, who is very white, was made to appear to be Mayor Daley's African American link to the community. Rather, Allison Davis, who is very white, was Barack Obama's Law boss.

Allison Davis is a member of the Progressive Apparatus of lefty lawyers, journalists, activists, and opportunists who get a pass from the Medill School of Journalism for peccadilloes, wallet-liftings, fund-miss appropriations and other Lefty high-jinks. Let's see if the Trib gets hot-under the bra on this story, though it may lead to the conviction of 'a licensed attorney and real estate broker bringing visionary and strategic leadership to Urban Property Advisors (UPA) plus a number of companies and ventures impacting change in urban environments:'Cullen Davis. Shucks, if the Tribune wants you to suffer - you suffer! Ask George Ryan. If a piece falling off a truck and killing six children can be made to prosecute and destroy the Governor of Illinois, how high the moon? Unless, of course the Medill Industry demands a pass for Progressives.

Today the Tribune added a bit more to the horrific tale of little Curtis Cooper's Death. They included Cullen Davis, who is very white but served as an aid to Rep. Danny K. Davis - no relation I presume - which is only fitting and should have been in the first paragraph of yesterday's feature.

Here is the thing. The Tribune had no problem linking this little boy's death to Mayor Daley - a very wholesome villain to MSM -but blanched at pointing out the very powerful connection between Allison Davis/Tony Rezko and Senator Obama. Why is that?
Tim Novak the only real newsman of the bumptious Chicago Sun Times has been a pitbull with his buckers sunk deeply in cheeks of the Progressive paragons - Obama/Rezko/Davis.

Credit where due - the Trib threw us a bone this morning:


UPA is run by Cullen Davis. His father, Allison, also has been an official with the firm, according to state records. Cullen Davis also declined to comment because of the pending lawsuit.

HUD inspectors reported that the conditions of the gates worsened over the last two years, records show. In 2006, the problem was judged to be of midlevel severity, with a rating of 2 on a scale of 1 to 3. The level was raised to 3 in two subsequent inspections, in April and December of last year.

Under HUD's inspection system, housing authorities are required to immediately fix problems regarded as pressing health and safety concerns, such as exposed wiring and blocked fire exits. Inspectors found many such violations on their last visit to the Cabrini-Green Rowhouses and gave the project a score of 30 points out of a possible total of 100—a "very bad score," Hanson said.

The condition of the gates, however, was not marked as life-threatening and thus did not require immediate repair. Hanson said HUD's computer software, in use for about 10 years, does not allow problems with gates or fences to be designated as life-threatening.

Even though it was not required to fix the gates immediately, the CHA should have made sure they were repaired, said Eleny Ladias, director of technical services for HUD in Chicago. "It's up to the housing authority. They're required to follow up with those type of repairs."

CHA officials said non-emergency items needing repair usually are "addressed by the property manager." They declined to comment on whether the broken gates were ever fixed.

UPA got the contract to manage the rowhouses where Curtis Cooper lived at the end of 2005, taking over from a resident-run management group. Residents have been critical of the firm's work, and some said the gates have long been in bad shape. "The gates were raggedy as hell," said Sherri Montgomery, a lifelong resident of the rowhouses.

After the accident, UPA posted signs warning children not to play on or near the gates. "It's too damn late," said Clayton Wade, Curtis Cooper's father. "The baby's dead."

lcohen@tribune.com

solkon@tribune.com

jgrotto@tribune.com


Like the Ayers/Obama papers held hostage at Cement City, better late than never.

Whenever I am near a Progressive Do-Gooder, I throw both hands over the Left check of my ass to protect my wallet.

Whenever a Progressive Do-Gooder gets near poor people, they rake in millions, properties get boarded up, and people die.

John McCain: It's Biden! Obama Goes for A Man 'Greater Than Himself'

























Taking a page from the John McCain playbook - and it is about time, Senator - Barack Obama has looked to the needs of someone other than himself - His tanking Campaign - over his own personal ambition and has chosen Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. I thought with all of the subterfuge and gadding about with the press these last few days, that Obama might select under-the-radar Sen. Jack Reed, but Obama head faked me - not too difficult. It has been All About Obama, but does not seem to be selling too hot these days. Obama needs an honest street brawler.

Senator Joe Biden is a great selection. Biden brings a wealth of seriousness to a Campaign identified by MTV-level thinking and life-style. Joe Biden knows how to bowl - out of the gutter. Well, sort of anyway.

My only beef with Biden stems from his willingness to carry the water of the National Organization of Women and the ACLU in their strident and un-American personal Borking ( a neologism coined in that time) of a Centrist legal scholar out of pure political necessity. Biden is still willing to play ball with the forces that fundamentally oppose all of his own strong virtues: Patriotism, Faith, Dignity, and Courage. The ACLU is group think. Joe Biden is better than that.

In The Bork Hearings, Joe Biden, who chaired Senate Judiciary hearings, came at Bork hard. It was an ugly chapter in American history.

Senator Ted Kennedy summarized the personal assault on Robert Bork:

"Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the Government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is -- and is often the only -- protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy... President Reagan is still our president. But he should not be able to reach out from the muck of Irangate, reach into the muck of Watergate and impose his reactionary vision of the Constitution on the Supreme Court and the next generation of American. No justice would be better than this injustice."

Doing the bidding of ACLU and the elites did Joe Biden no good. He himself was 'Borked' out contention for the Democratic Nomination. The Group think seemed to mistrust Biden's individualism.

Now, Joe Biden is needed to bring Catholics, blue-collar white voters and women back into belief that the forces of Group Think are not all that bad.

Unlike most Progressives, Joseph Biden is a street fighter, while they tend to be litigation terrorists and character assassins. Biden fights hard and comes at his opponent from the front. He does not give the enemy a head butt after a disarming smile. Say this for Biden - He told Robert Bork to expect an ass-chewing and the jurist was not ambushed:
LEAD: Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a Democratic Presidential contender, assured opponents of the nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork today that he would lead the fight against his confirmation to the United States Supreme Court.

Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a Democratic Presidential contender, assured opponents of the nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork today that he would lead the fight against his confirmation to the United States Supreme Court.

The remarks were made at a private meeting this morning called by Mr. Biden to convey his position to leaders of civil rights groups, who are marshaling for an all-out battle to defeat the nomination.

Pete Smith, a spokesman for the Judiciary Committee, confirmed that Senator Biden ''intends to oppose the nomination and to lead the effort against it in the Senate.'' But the spokesman said the Delaware Senator ''does not plan to formally announce his opposition until he has a chance to spell out his reasons in detail in a series of speeches, which he plans to begin next week.'' Hearings Set for Sept. 15

The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over judicial nominations, and today Mr. Biden announced that hearings on the nomination would not begin until Sept. 15, almost assuring that the Court will have a vacancy when the next term begins on Oct. 5.

When told of the decision not to begin hearings until September, Marlin Fitzwater, the White House spokesman, said, ''We hope they will reconsider, because we would sure like to start the new term with a full Court.''

Mr. Biden's assurances that he will oppose the nomination represented an important shift by the powerful liberal Democrat that could add to pressures on uncommitted Senators, Presidential candidates and other prominent Democrats to take early positions on the Bork nomination. In the past, Mr. Biden has sought to avoid a politically and ideologically partisan approach to judicial nominations.

Some liberal and civil rights groups say that stopping Judge Bork's nomination will be their major priority of the Reagan era.


http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0DA1331F93AA35754C0A961948260


John McCain will have his hands full with Joe Biden, because unlike Senator Obama, Biden attacks from the front. The old fighter pilot's 'Neck on a Swivel' stance needs to be adjusted, because Joe Biden comes at you head-on.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Gate Crushes Boy Chicago Tribune Hides Obama Connection but Links Daley



That's Cullen Davis Folks - he's doing just fine. The little boy killed by the gate on the properties that are making Cullen richer never met Cullen. Cullen Davis has long resume for a young man - loaded with all kinds of do-gooder stuff. Cullen Davis never got mentioned in the Tribune story about responsibility for the death of little Curtis Cooper.


Click my Post Title for series of real articles by a real newsman, Tim Novak of the Chicago Sun Times that link Rezko client Obama and Allison Davis - Obama's Law Boss.

The Tribune just flashed a story about CHA complicity in the Death of a little boy this summer, when a rusted wrought iron gate crushed him to death. Little Curtis Cooper died at a property manged by Cullen Davis, son of Allison Davis, a lefty lawyer with thick ties to Obama.

The Tribune is in the tank for Obama. I am in the tank for McCain, but this piece don't cost you nothing.

The Tribune white-washes Obama's sordid support for Rezko/Davis/Ayers/ . . . any more do-gooder crooks that you can name? and saves the kick in the two things that Jesse Jackson wanted to cut off of Obama for Mayor Daley - not a guy that I would like to ever hear the words 'Pat Hickey is a great friend of mine' (which I won't) -because he MAY be treated as the bad guy du jour by the Progressives. He is after all a Daley - not a great one like his brother John, who happens to be one of the most genuine and authentically nice people I have ever had the honor to meet.

Here's the Tribune at its Candy Assed Best:

Inspectors for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported at least as long ago as 2006 that gates at the Cabrini-Green complex were damaged, falling or leaning. In their last report, in December 2007, they also said that "multiple" gates were "missing hardware" and that the defects were severe.

Six months later, 3-year-old Curtis Cooper died when one of the massive metal gates fell on him. A lawyer for the boy's family has alleged that the gate was dangling by one hinge because its two other hinges had rusted through.

After being alerted to the problem, it's not clear what steps—if any—the CHA took to get the politically connected firm managing the Cabrini-Green Rowhouses to fix the gates. Urban Property Advisors, or UPA, is run by the son of developer Allison Davis, one of Mayor Richard Daley's top allies in the African-American community.

In response to questions from the Tribune on Thursday, the CHA issued a news release Friday morning saying that the agency passed on the last report to UPA and that repairing the gates was not a priority because HUD inspectors did not designate the gates' condition as a life-threatening emergency.


Read the array of Tim Novak pieces for real story. Novak is the only real newsman at the tanking Sun Times

The Tribune just laid off forty plus people, but they put three reporters on this whitewash crap?

They do not even name the punk responsible - they let Daddy get the tune-up because Daddy is already singing an aria to the Feds. That's Cullen Davis Folks*! Cullen Davis!

Mr. & Mrs. Cooper, God Bless you in your grief and give guidance to your days without your little boy, Curtis.

Cullen Davis! Anything to add? Didn't think so. Tribune? How about a Harrumph?

Come off of it! You clowns calling the shots at the Trib have taken way too many pulls on whatever it is that you have in that Hookah.

*Cullen J. Davis, CEO, is a licensed attorney and real estate broker bringing visionary and strategic leadership to Urban Property Advisors (UPA) plus a number of companies and ventures impacting change in urban environments:
• CJD Investments, which identifies opportunities for acquisition of
undervalued properties in transitional neighborhoods.
• CJD Projects, which develops multifamily housing using complex
financial transactions, especially those involving a high degree of government interaction.
• CNS Projects, a company focused on the holistic development of
urban areas and currently has more than $35 million dollars in
value under development.
• Principal of Hallmark and Johnson Real Estate Management,
LLC, which manages condominiums and market-rate housing
across the Chicagoland area.
• Daveri Development Group, a partnership which develops
multifamily housing throughout the state of Illinois.

Mr. Davis is formerly an associate in the real estate department at the law firm of Winston & Strawn, where he represented developers, financial institutions, investment bankers and investor groups in connection with residential, industrial, office and retail properties. He also served as an aid for Congressman Danny K. Davis, a position which further grounded him in the intricacies of public and private partnership. Mr. Davis received a Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University’s School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree from Grinnell College. He is a certified tax-credit compliance specialist, a member of the Illinois Bar Association, and holds a variety of other professional memberships and certifications.

Mr. Davis, a native of Chicago, lives in the North Kenwood-Oakland community with his wife and has been a pioneer in that community’s redevelopment.

John McCain: I'm guessing Obama's VP will be Senator Jack Reed - if BO is as Smart as One Would Believe.

































A buddy of mine just called: 'Hey smart ass! Who's Obama gonna pick for VP?'

Scratch, Scratch, Scratch - getting to like that so I stopped.

I say, 'Senator Jack Reed (D) of Rhode Island!'

She says,'No Effing Way!' ( Foul mouthed little Asian twist)

Pulling myself to my fullest height, I cock an eyebrow and rejoin, 'Money? Marbles? or Chalk?'


I got a feeling that Senator Obama will choose Senator Jack Reed or little old Rhose Island.

This guy would be a great choice. He is on some of the key Committees:

Appropriations
Aremed Services
Banking
Education

and he trotted along with Obama on the global tour.

John McCain: How many Houses did Billy Ayers Blow Up - NY's John Murtagh's Home?













First a bit of Progressive Poesy:

It Takes a Bridge - That Someone Don't Blow up


Billy Da Bomber and His Odious Ma’ma,
are roachin’ from under the Fridge.
The Library Thing -that is taking such Wing
Is Blowing Up Barry’s nice Bridge!



John McCain's bride is loaded. John McCain is a U.S. Senator; they do Okay.

Billy Ayers is loaded. He's an insulated Trust-fund radical tenured professor who is self-professed a domestic terrorist.
Barack Obama worked for Billy Ayers at Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Barack Obama is doing Okay, like McCain a U.S. Senator.

The McCain's have . . . Oh, let's see . . . seven (7) homes - not bad.

Barack has a swell igloo over in Hyde Park where Billy Ayers hangs his fanny pack and tummy wallet. Barack had Tony Rezko help with his real estate matters. Hell, I would too, but then again I'll never run for President. Thanks Be to God! I'd loot this country six ways to Sunday.

Billy Ayers and his gang bombed homes - the home of a judge. Billy's Pop got him and his odious Old Lady out of all manner of jambs*.

Here's the account of John Murtagh, whose home was fire bombed, when his Dad, a New York judge, was prosecuting Billy Ayers' pals - The Weathermen:

John M. Murtagh
Fire in the Night
The Weathermen tried to kill my family.
30 April 2008
During the April 16 debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, moderator George Stephanopoulos brought up “a gentleman named William Ayers,” who “was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol, and other buildings. He’s never apologized for that.” Stephanopoulos then asked Obama to explain his relationship with Ayers. Obama’s answer: “The notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was eight years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn’t make much sense, George.” Obama was indeed only eight in early 1970. I was only nine then, the year Ayers’s Weathermen tried to murder me.

In February 1970, my father, a New York State Supreme Court justice, was presiding over the trial of the so-called “Panther 21,” members of the Black Panther Party indicted in a plot to bomb New York landmarks and department stores. Early on the morning of February 21, as my family slept, three gasoline-filled firebombs exploded at our home on the northern tip of Manhattan, two at the front door and the third tucked neatly under the gas tank of the family car. (Today, of course, we’d call that a car bomb.) A neighbor heard the first two blasts and, with the remains of a snowman I had built a few days earlier, managed to douse the flames beneath the car. That was an act whose courage I fully appreciated only as an adult, an act that doubtless saved multiple lives that night.

I still recall, as though it were a dream, thinking that someone was lifting and dropping my bed as the explosions jolted me awake, and I remember my mother’s pulling me from the tangle of sheets and running to the kitchen where my father stood. Through the large windows overlooking the yard, all we could see was the bright glow of flames below. We didn’t leave our burning house for fear of who might be waiting outside. The same night, bombs were thrown at a police car in Manhattan and two military recruiting stations in Brooklyn. Sunlight, the next morning, revealed three sentences of blood-red graffiti on our sidewalk: FREE THE PANTHER 21; THE VIET CONG HAVE WON; KILL THE PIGS.

For the next 18 months, I went to school in an unmarked police car. My mother, a schoolteacher, had plainclothes detectives waiting in the faculty lounge all day. My brother saved a few bucks because he didn’t have to rent a limo for the senior prom: the NYPD did the driving. We all made the best of the odd new life that had been thrust upon us, but for years, the sound of a fire truck’s siren made my stomach knot and my heart race. In many ways, the enormity of the attempt to kill my entire family didn’t fully hit me until years later, when, a father myself, I was tucking my own nine-year-old John Murtagh into bed.

Though no one was ever caught or tried for the attempt on my family’s life, there was never any doubt who was behind it. Only a few weeks after the attack, the New York contingent of the Weathermen blew themselves up making more bombs in a Greenwich Village townhouse. The same cell had bombed my house, writes Ron Jacobs in The Way the Wind Blew: A History of the Weather Underground. And in late November that year, a letter to the Associated Press signed by Bernardine Dohrn, Ayers’s wife, promised more bombings.

As the association between Obama and Ayers came to light, it would have helped the senator a little if his friend had at least shown some remorse. But listen to Ayers interviewed in the New York Times on September 11, 2001, of all days: “I don’t regret setting bombs. I feel we didn’t do enough.” Translation: “We meant to kill that judge and his family, not just damage the porch.” When asked by the Times if he would do it all again, Ayers responded: “I don’t want to discount the possibility.”

Though never a supporter of Obama, I admired him for a time for his ability to engage our imaginations, and especially for his ability to inspire the young once again to embrace the political system. Yet his myopia in the last few months has cast a new light on his “politics of change.” Nobody should hold the junior senator from Illinois responsible for his friends’ and supporters’ violent terrorist acts. But it is fair to hold him responsible for a startling lack of judgment in his choice of mentors, associates, and friends, and for showing a callous disregard for the lives they damaged and the hatred they have demonstrated for this country. It is fair, too, to ask what those choices say about Obama’s own beliefs, his philosophy, and the direction he would take our nation.

At the conclusion of his 2001 Times interview, Ayers said of his upbringing and subsequent radicalization: “I was a child of privilege and I woke up to a world on fire.”

Funny thing, Bill: one night, so did I.

John M. Murtagh is a practicing attorney, an adjunct professor of public policy at the Fordham University College of Liberal Studies, and a member of the city council in Yonkers, New York, where he resides with his wife and two sons.


Barack is friends with Billy Ayers. If I were invited to a free Surf & Turf at Ruth's Chris House and Ayers and his Old Lady were in the same restaurant, I'd have to bolt. I could not be in the same building with them - though I would not need to fear of it blowing up!

* Yep, that's how I meant to spell it - door jamb -meant to suggest a porch climbing, breaking and entering gutless little punk-ass sneak - like the distinguished professor of education at Cement City - University of Illinois at Chicago (Circle).

John McCain: Obama's Team Seeks to Pick up Some Change in D.C.


I remember Dan Shomon. He was a point man for Senator Obama during his many runs for elected office. Seemed like a nice guy - Hell, why not be a nice guy; it doesn't cost you nickel one. Dan Shomon was recently trolling for lobby work in Washington D.C. come the great Change Age. That was in July, when fields were green. Heavens! A Lobbyist with Kid Hope?


http://www.danshomon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26


And Obama has his Haines in a twist over McCain's Real Estate Holdings? Seven ( 7) homes- not bad; glad it's not me - I'd be pissing off more neighbors: 'Hickey, cut the damn grass! Jesus, how much work is it to slap some stain on your deck? Did you celebrate the end of the Vietnam War by weeding?'

Senator Obama has Billy Ayers darting out from under the Frigidaire and he's worried about another man's houses? No, wonder he's tanking.

The Obama Campaign is currently tanking, but back in July it looked like Team Change was about to have their Victory soup served in Paul Revere Silver tureens. Ben Smith at Politico tossed this morsel on the grill - I missed it. A pal sent me an e-mail with the link. I was probably watch Illinois Lotto reruns or Big Daddy Woo-woo Freedom Auto Sales loops. Here is the Ben Smith snag of a lobbyist at work:

Cashing in on 'CHANGE'

Mike Allen gets hold of an email promoting the lobbying business of a former Obama aide, Dan Shomon. Key line:

Should "CHANGE" occur in November as polls indicate, we should see a lot of people from Illinois moving to Washington D.C. and taking key spots in an Obama administration. Now is the time to anticipate these changes.

Allen has statements of regret from Shomon and the campaign. Full email after the jump.


» Continue reading Cashing in on 'CHANGE'



From: xxx@danshomon.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:14 PM
Subject: Meeting Obama's Former Political Director, Chief of Staff, Spokesman


Hello :

I am a partner with Dan Shomon, of Dan Shomon Inc. with offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Dan was the longest serving aide, and political director for Senator Obama serving as Political Director & Campaign Manager for Obama's 2004 Senate campaign and acting as his chief political advisor and spokesman from 1997 through 2006 when Dan left to open his government affairs practice. Dan is mentioned in every book about Sen. Obama and is profiled in Senator Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope." Dan has been interviewed in recent months by Time Magazine, the Wash. Post, ABC's 20/20, CNN, the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune, and many other publications about Sen. Obama.

We will be in Washington DC August 4, 5, and 6th and were interested in scheduling a meeting with your government affairs team to discuss the changing political landscapes and our services and capabilities.

Currently we represent clients such as the University of Chicago, Honeywell, and Pfizer. Should "CHANGE" occur in November as polls indicate, we should see a lot of people from Illinois moving to Washington D.C. and taking key spots in an Obama administration. Now is the time to anticipate these changes.

Please let me know if we can meet for a half hour any of those days we are in town to discuss our capabilities and ways in which we may serve your needs during these changing times.

Thanks so much and don't hesitate to call me at 312-xxx-xxx.

Gerald Galloway
Partner, Dan Shomon Inc.

Backtround on Dan Shomon :

Dan Shomon: Guiding Obama through the Early Years

Dan Shomon was Senator Barack Obama's longest-serving aide, campaign manager and advisor -- from January 1997 to May 2006 when Dan opened up his own government affairs practice in downtown Chicago. Dan traveled over 5,000 miles alone with Obama during the time and became his key closest confidante and political strategist. Dan is featured in every book on Sen. Obama including Sen. Obama's autobiography, "The Audacity of Hope"

Shomon has been quoted in Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the New Yorker, National Public Radio and the Washington Post and he has been interviewed by ABC's 20/20, CNN and the BBC.

Shomon began serving as an aide to Obama when he was a staff person for Illinois Senate Democratic Leader Emil Jones. Shomon was first assigned by Leader Jones in January 1997 to coordinate Obama's press and legislative work. He held that position until August 1999. During that time, Shomon accompanied Obama on a one-week trip to Southern Illinois that was prominently featured in Obama's book "Audacity of Hope." As a staff aide, Shomon worked on many issues including tax justice. He helped Obama develop a coalition of tax organization that pushed through tax relief for working families. Due in part to Shomon and Obama's work, a new law was passed to double the standard deduction on Illinois income taxes from $1,000 to $2,000. The standard deduction had been frozen at $1,000 for a quarter-century.

In August 1999, Shomon was named Campaign Manager for Obama for Congress 2000 in Obama's race for the 1st Congressional District. He held that post until Obama was defeated by incumbent Congressman Bobby Rush in March 2000. As campaign manager, Shomon oversaw a $625,000 budget, a full-time staff of five people and all media and issues management and field operations.

Shomon continued to serve as senior advisor to Obama until July 2002 when he was named Campaign Manager for Obama's campaign for U.S. Senate. In January 2003, Obama announced his candidacy for U.S. Senator. In July 2003 Shomon was named Political Director for Obama and served in that role until May 2006.

In the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate, Shomon managed & coordinated Obama's announcement for U.S. Senator in January 2003. Shomon was also a key member of the press and issues management team for Obama and oversaw strategy and field operations for 97 of Illinois' 102 counties.

Dan currently advises and handles government affairs for clients such as the University of Chicago and Honeywell.

Shomon earned his undergraduate degree in English Literature from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., He received a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Illinois.



By Ben Smith 08:07 PM


Lookee here; you got Ayers, Rezko, Crazy Uncle Jere Wright, Father 'Forgive Me' Pfleger, Granny Shudder, Shomon, . . . no wonder them polls are slipping under the waves like Titanic with a weight problem.

Welcome Home Marines of 2-24! Chicago's Own!


There are six young men coming home from the Morgan Park/Beverly/Mount Greenwood Neighborhood, known in the Chicago MSM at the 19th Ward.

Ryan Nolan
Mike Hughes
Jim Kelly
Bob Carroll
Nick Parker
John Folliard

. . . all Marines of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines.* Our young men will be greeted down Western Ave. - their hometown mainstreet. These five heroes are members of St. Cajetan's Parish! There are Yellow Ribbons all over this neighborhood in Morgan Park of Chicago. God Bless You, Marines!

Tomorrow, I will meet the young men who have served our Country with Honor in Iraq at the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines formation at Rosemont Horizon. My interviews with their familes and the men themselves concerning their part in the The Surge and the welccome that awaits them back in the neighborhood.

My interviews and photos will appear in Chicago Daily Observer - The Best Source of Balanced Journalism in Chicago: go to www.cdobs.com

http://cdobs.com/

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Obama Crowd PMSing ( President McCain Syndrome - Pernicious Mousey Snearing!


Drudge Report Lists Obama Meltdown and complete collapse due to President McCain Syndrome ( PMS). President McCain Syndrome: the onset of an awareness that an honorable, battle-tested, experienced patriot will be President, instead of an ambitious public speaker, creates a physical, spiritual and emotional milk shake of America's most delicate bi-peds - The Great American Progressive: A sheep-like individual given to hysterical emotions charged by talking points form failed Leftist doctrine. PMS - hurts those of us who love the afflicted, because stifling laughter at their expense is good manners by physically challenging. Try stopping diarrhea without Imodium!

Thus:

Drudge Items for 8/21/2008: Here are indications of the run-away PMS afflicting Camp Obama from Drudge Report alone:

1.McCain unsure how many houses he owns

2.OBAMA AD MOCKS...

3.KAINE: MCCAIN 'COULDN'T COUNT HIGH ENOUGH'...

4.Obama camp lashes out at 'quick-draw' McCain

5.Obama rips FOXNEWS, BOOK...

6.Senate Majority Leader Reid: 'I can't stand John McCain'...

7.Spent More on Ads in July Than McCain Spent on Election...

Wow Here are oonly a few of the symptons afflicting a very small portion of the American Population:
Physical symptoms include:

Breast swelling and tenderness. See Keith Olbermann
Bloating, water retention, weight gain. See Keith Olbermann
Changes in bowel habits. DNC and all committed delgates
Acne. See Rachel Maddow


Aggression. Daily Kos, Huffington Post, MSNBC
Withdrawal from family and friends.
Emotional and cognitive symptoms include:

Depression, sadness, hopelessness. DNC et. al
Anger, irritability.
Anxiety.
Mood swings.
Decreased alertness, inability to concentrate.


This scourge afflicts half-wits as much as it does true believers. Try not to laugh at them - try.

Urban League Lawsuit - 'Eat The Rich! A Full Flavorful and Mouthwatering Civil Rights Issue!



In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height.

Illinoi$ Rev./$enator James Meeks leads the forces of Victim hood - out of $chool and off to far Winnetka!

The Embedded Media trot along with the War Baggage - and well they should! There are hundreds of dollars in Chicago newspapers festooning the CPS teacher's lounges and Public $chool parking lots! Blown by the Winds of War - Redistribution of Wealth Warfare. You see, if you have more money than your neighbor - that is a glaring Injustice!

Morons in America demand that you give your money to someone else, whether you care to or not or you are a Racist or worse. Is there anything worse than a racist? How about a Racist Rapist IRS Agent with bloody flux and bad gums? Sorry. This is serious - to people solidly against school reform. The Public School Combine ( Apologies to J. Kass).

CEO Arne Duncan and President Rufus Williams encastled the beleaguered children in Soldier Field only last May to hear the War Cries of Jeff Tweedy ( Wilco) for an expensive demonstration of what is entirely wrong with Public Education in America - it will do anything but educate!

From This Blog last May ( openning gambit by the ever deft Arne et al.):

Now, here is the Chicago Tribune report on the very same event:

Organizers also used the rally, dubbed Shout Out for Schools, to pressure Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other state officials for more than the $119 million that has been earmarked for the district in the latest budget. The district needs an additional $90 million for programs, many of which would be used to help lessen violence, school officials have said.

But legislators late last month approved a $60 billion state budget that Blagojevich has not signed because it may be $2 billion over budget. School officials warned they may be forced to raise property taxes if Springfield doesn't come through.

"Year after year, we go to Springfield to ask for more money, we go to Springfield for tougher gun laws. . . . Year after year we are told, 'We'll do what we can,' " Board of Education President Rufus Williams said.

On Tuesday, students sat scattered throughout the stands listening to musicians rapping, playing bongos and strumming guitars. Some of the other performers included Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and RichKiddz. School officials said more than 30,000 tickets were issued to students and others to attend the two-hour rally, which cost about $10 per student for transportation that the district is looking to recoup from donors. It was not clear how many students attended the rally.


Jeff Tweedy???? He's gotta live in Hyde Park. Tweed is de rigeur!

Let's see May ER D and Super D got this Party started - "the largest civics class in history!"
http://hickeysite.blogspot.com/2008/06/arne-duncan-and-rich-daley-shout-out.html

Now we have the Urban League snaking its forces into the courts!

In Chicago, many of the students live in poor communities where property taxes are low. So the district gets less money, only $10,000 per student.

The Chicago Urban League called that discrimination.

"The state school system flat out violates the civil rights of minority children," said Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson.

The Urban League spells out its reasons in a lawsuit against the State of Illinois and the state Board of Education. Lawyers say the system is unfair because Chicago has a history of housing discrimination that forced minorities in poor communities, so basing the funding on property taxes automatically limits funding.


http://cbs2chicago.com/local/illinois.school.funding.2.799514.html
This Lawsuit makes me hunger for my own Civil Rights Issue - I am tired of separate and unequal restaurants - Segregated Menus Lacking in all Diversity! Mexican Only; Thai Only; Chinese Only; Ethiopian Only; Polish Only; Greek Only; Italian Only; Indian Only and Korean Only, if I am very lucky!

Why should my Right to Happiness be infringed upon? I would be Happy only if I can be served what I want, where I want it, when I want it at what I want to pay!

My people had only SPUDS! Then the Spuds were killed in an act of Genocide! Then My people flooded here! To eat Diverse Menus!

Remember - this is about the THREE Radical Prongs - used by the Lawsuit Lotto Lawyers attacking Law Enforcement and the Catholic Church

1. Undermine any and all credibility of any system through a barrage of media invented Civil Rights Issue Daily Feeds - if there is no Jim Crow; ( Segregated Housing? That went out of Law Decades Ago! Unless we parse up a storm! Which News Knot-heads will do.) make one up to fit the need( 'Lawyers say the system is unfair because Chicago has a history of housing discrimination that forced minorities in poor communities, so basing the funding on property taxes automatically limits funding' Uh-huh, Mary Mitchell finds this compelling, but then again . . .) My issue, like each contemporary civil rights issue, is all about me! In order for a Civil Rights Issue to be compelling it must matter most to the very fewest persons. Most people pay taxes - but those who do not work, do not pay taxes and believe themselves to be the most put-upon!

They got nothing on me! I am the King Kong of Self Interest! I am Civil Rights! Separate but Unequal! - I go to an Italian Restaurant and am outraged that they refuse to serve me Tandoori Chicken! The waiter said, 'What can I get you?' I said, 'Tandoori Chicken and he refused to serve me! How Loooong???

2. Take it to Court - no luck. Judge said, 'Hickey, Go to an Indian Restaurant.' Ain't no Indian restaurant in Morgan Park judge. My lawyer said that it is 'An Indian Restaurant Desert!' I have an Urbane Translator, Judge! He knows the difference between Hot Food and haut cuisine ! Think of my Children, Judge! I got Andy Shaw waiting outside the courtroom for Action 7 and Andy is Outraged a Plenty! Channel 11 Friday Night! Watch Out, Now!

3. Take it back to the Legislature get them Law Makers to enact this Much Need Civil Rights Legislation for Me! - Every Restaurant should serve Me exactly what I want, when I want it @ what I want to pay for it!

This is a cultural, nutritional and Civil Rights Issue. Let's Get to Marching! Tandoori, Right Now! Not Some Half-Cooked Cow! Tandoori, Right Now! Not Some Half-Cooked Cow!


School Choice, Dummies! Quit Cooking the Same Tired Nonsense! It is Done! Now, you garnish it with more lawyer arugula!

Morgan Park/Beverly Welcomes Home 2-24 USMC


from left to right: 2/24 Commanding Officer during OIF, LtCol Mark A. Smith, SgtMaj Gary L. Payne and a civilian interpreter. (Note the Mad Ghost logo painted on the HMMWV.)

Welcome Home! The Businesses on Western Avenue - Mr. Swifty Cleaners, DiCola's Fish, McNalley's Pub, Stadium Club, the Comic Book Store on 111th Street in Mount Greenwood, Kean Gas, Keegan's Pub, Computer Bay have signage honoring your service!

Mike Hughes
Jim Kelly
Nick Parker
Bob Carroll
John Folliard

On Saturday August 23rd, the neighborhood will welcome home five Marines from duty in Iraq. The are members of the 2nd Battalion, Twenty Fourth Marines ( 2-24) 'Chicago's Own' - here is a little about their service from the Battalion Website

Chicago's Own was mobilized again in June 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The battalion trained at Camp Pendleton until August of that year when they relocated to Mahmudiyah, in the North Babil Province of Iraq, an area known as the "Triangle of Death". The battalion was engaged in intense combat operations against members of the Iraqi insurgency. [2] 2/24 made Marine Corps history when they became the first reserve infantry battalion of OIF to operate independently, isolated on its own forward operating base.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize Winner John F. Burns, the Chief Foreign Correspondent of the New York Times described his time spent with 2/24 this way: "A week with the 2/24 Marines at their bases 15 to 30 miles south of Baghdad, in the heart of the area known as the Triangle of Death, was a window on the demands being made of reservists, and on the resourcefulness and resilience they bring to the challenges. There is little they cannot do, with hard work and improvisation, the battalion's officers say, reflecting the widely varied backgrounds of the men in the Chicago-based unit - doctors, policemen[3], engineers, teachers, carpenters, truck drivers, lawyers, computer specialists, community counselors, college students, to name a few." [4]

After establishing additional strong points in the area, working closely with the Iraqi Army and Police, providing security for the first-ever open democratic elections in Iraq and arresting over 1,000 suspected insurgents (with an incredibly high conviction rate,) 2/24 returned to California in March 2005. They deactivated in May 2005.

In March 2006, elements of 2/24 participated in Operation Shared Accord in Niger. The Marines taught basic military tactics to groups of soldiers from the Forces Armees Nigeriennes and also provided humanitarian support to some of Niger's neediest citizens. In May 2006, Echo Company of 2/24 participated in Operation Noble Shirley in Israel by conducting desert warfare and joint counter-terrorism training with the Israeli Defense Forces [IDF].

On September 10th, 2007, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines were once again activated in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and relocated to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. The battalion began another tour in Iraq beginning in January 2008 and operated in the vicinity of Habbaniyah, operating out of base formerly known as RAF Habbaniya. On August 10, 2008 they turned over their area of operations to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines and returned stateside in late August.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Battalion_24th_Marines


Your Families, Friends and Neighbors bid you -'Welcome Home!'

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Olbermann Takes Credit for Maddow: 'WayTaGO Butch!'






Olbermann, the bloated basso-asso of MSNBC- The Tool Shed, is taking credit for the posting of Rachel 'Butch' Maddow to her own show - 'Bullish on America?' Mayhaps? Hmmm.

Nevertheless, Fat Boy Olbermann, the bigger half of the Tubby and Butch Countdown segment oozed the news to the Daily Kos crowd. Olbermann's Oil Can Harry routine has helped push John McCain's numbers up past Obama. He is not the biggest A$$hole in America but he'll do.

Maddow's show will tank before Obama loses the 40 States to McCain in the biggest landslide in electoral history. She replaces Kid Nepotism Dan Abrams - who has a job for life so long as his Pappy jots out the billable hours for the Peacock.

Remember, MSNBC- The Tool Shed, Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Moveon.org, Hollywood, and so many others have contributed to this massive political implosion. Never have some millions of dollars been wasted on so few votes. They have all been great.

Keith there is no 'I' in Morons - there is one in Idiots, nice work, Son!

God Bless You, Tubby and Butch!