The Election is OverLet the insurgency begin

I voted against the Ohio State constitutional amendment which defines marraige as between a man and a woman and which denies equal protection under law to non-traditional families.

Like 2.7 million other Ohioans did on election day last, I went down to my local precinct and I cast my one vote for Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts as president.   My wife, my second oldest daughter and my youngest son cast similar votes.  In the end ... it was not enough and George W. Bush won the election in my state by almost 119,000 votes. As a result he also won the election nationwide and was inaugurated to his second term Jan. 20th, 2005   Sen. Kerry was not my first choice. In early spring of 2004 I supported a differant democrat. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland, OH. - a co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. However; Dennis Kucinich and his 'progressive' positions on the issues of the day were dismissed by the DNC and Re. Kucinich was not even afforded the curtesy of a primetime keynote speech to the Democratic party regulars at the National Convention in Boston.   I felt compelled throughout the campaign to deny my support to John Kerry because John Kerry voted for the War Powers Resolution - H.J. Res. 114: Authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq. (PL 107-243) thereby abrograting his constitutional duty to protect the constitution and to insure that only congress could declare war. And not only that. The John Kerry campaign offered only superficial remedies to pressing and urgent national problems such as the inadequate miserly minimum wage and national health care.   After John Kerry's selection as the presidential nominee of the democratic party I found myself once again reaching a decision, (as I had done in both the '96 and '00 elections) to abandon the democratic party and to give my whole-hearted support to Ralph Nader, the staunch people's activist and only clear alternative to the corporate corruption of the two major ( republican and democratic) parties occupying the seats of power in this nation's capital.   I did not know the Green Party was going to desert Ralph Nader. I also did not know 'progressive' allies in elections past, like Michael Moore and Bill Maher, were going to desert Ralph Nader and throw in with the 'anybodybutbushers'. Nor did I know the DNC was going to send out shock troop hoardes of paid lawyers to challenge Ralph in state after state to remove him from the ballot causing him to expend time and resources in a rear guard action that would have been better spent getting out his message. Lastly, I did not foresee the corporate media making a laughing stock of Ralph Nader ( as they had earlier done to Howard Dean ).   This administration's domestic policies of looting the national treasury, weakening environmental protections, underfunding important progressive government programs, failing to provide adequate homeland defense and of continuing to spend the Social Security Trust Fund while running a deficit government which burdens future generations with a stifling financial liability are absolutely unacceptable. Further, the Bush Administaration's provencial foreign policy of unilateral action without regard for international opinion and historical consquence is deplorable and dangerous!   I am a democrat by birth. I was raised in St. Petersburg, FL and I can't recall a time before 1996 I supported any candidate for president who wasn't a democrat.   My vote was rather a vote against Pres. Bush's domestic and foreign policies which are antithetical to progressive democracy. In the end I did cast my vote for John Kerry.  I voted 'against my fears' for a second term for George Bush rather than 'for my hopes' of a viable third party free of corporate influence.   Frodo has failed and Bush has the ring.   Sorry Ralph. Sorry America. Sorry world.

The BiPartisan Campaign

 
The presidential election is less than six days away now.  I sit here in my upstairs room listening to NPR's 'All Things Considered', to a stump speech by the Green Party nominee for the presidency - David Cobb.  Doing so reminds me of how disappointed I have been as this election season has evolved. The Democratic Primaries 
In the spring I supported Congressman Dennis Kucinich, US Representative from the 10th Congressional District in Cleveland, Ohio who waged a gallant campaign promoting the progressive ideals I believe in. Universal Health Care. International Cooperation. Withdrawal from NAFTA and WTO. Repeal of the "Patriot Act". Guaranteed Quality Education. Full Social Security Benefits. The Right-to-Choose. Privacy. Civil Rights. Worker's Rights. The Environment. And Etc. And Etc.

The Iowa Caucus

John Kerry emerges as the winner and John Edwards, first-term Senator from North Carolina, takes a surprising 2nd. Both are beneficiaries of Howard Dean and Dick Gephart, who furociously decimate one another in the political trenches and finish 3rd and 4th respectively. Dennis Kucinich finishes in a distant 5th place with 1% of the vote. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist, also receives votes.

Dick Gephart, who has spent 21 million dollars in Iowa, withdraws from the race and Howard Dean, caught on video delivering his now infamous election night rally speech vows to fight on.

The New Hampshire Primary

Super Tuesday came and Kerry again won

, ..It seems to me this presidental campaign has devolved into being all about the past.  A referendum on who did what 30+ years ago.  The Vietnam War is over folks.  Remember?  We have granted clemency to one and all.

Can't we please start talking about the future?

The lineup

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		Excluded from the BiPartisan Campaign
George Bush	John Kerry	Ralph Nader

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My biggest problem with this bipartisan campaign is, as you might can tell, the exclusion of Ralph Nader.

Long Live Rock-n-Roll

 
I am a baby-boomer. Born August 5th, 1953.
 
In the spring of my 6th grade a female classmate asked me if I had ever heard of  the Beatles.  I said, "No. What's that?" and she enthusiastically informed me this was something I absolutely had to discover for myself.
 
That day after school I took an old radio I dug up around the house someplace into my bedroom and plugged it in.  I dutifully tuned to 1110 on the AM dial as instructed. and I heard. for the very first time - Rock-n-Roll.
 
My god! It was like someone turned on the lights.
My world of flat vaguely shaded greys peopled with cardboard cut-out figures suddenly turned phat and sassy, vibrant, deep and passionate and a person I never known existed before came into my own awareness that afternoon ... and that person was me.
 
I guess What I want you to know is that there was this exact turning point - a very moment in time - when I came know I was unique and independent and that I had choices and that those choices weren't to be determined by my parents!
 
    I didn't have to have a butch hair-cut.
    I didn't have to wear a starched white shirt.
    I didn't have to wear those stupid shoes.
    I didn't have to have creased pants.
    I didn't have to be quite.
    I didn't have to do as I was told.
 
I don't know if this was a common perception. I think it was though. I believe it happened to the girl; else ... why would she have told me?
 
Anyway ...
That is the beginning of my life in protest.
and I want to thank that girl who's name is lost to my memory. I want to thank the Beatles, And I wanna thank Rock-n-Roll.
 
Naturally; My mother, and my father especially,
thought my decision was a bit premature.
 
This is not about my early and continuing struggle for independance and freedom though. Those are stories for another time and place.
 
I just wanted you to know how I came about knowing there was and had to be one.
 

I have BloggedThis

 
Narcissistic Flight is pretty much what it says it is.
The blog of a girl who seems ... well ... Narcissistic.
Can't wait to see how things turn out for her and her less than effusive boyfriend.

What's Jim up to now! Jim is a soldier on his way to Iraq. Perhaps this will indulge my interest in getting a first hand perspective.

Peevishness and Botheration A corporate website. Should be useful to remind myself why I chose this life of independent poverty

Enemy of the People a left of center political website. Well done. Well written. Well researched.

My Recipes what the hell. I might decide to go off my diet soon. *s*

Unofficial Vote4Nader Blog: Vote Nader/Camejo 2004: Write In Nader (WIN) ... sadly ... this blog appears to no longer be updating.

Things Blog : Blog Things - aninteresting site with a lot of interesting links to help one understanding and improving your blogs

Free Speech Zones

Monday Aug 2nd

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Saturday; true to his word, the pretender - Mr GW Bush - arrived here in our not so sunny city to deliver a speech at Don Cross Stadium.  It was a soggy wet day and the president unelect was at least an hour late.

Tickets were fairly easy to acquire. They were given out free on three consecutive mornings at the offices of a local attorney to anyone with a valid Ohio Driver's License on a first come - first serve basis and attendance was over-whelming. My wife, who was responsible for depositing two angry protestors - our daughters Mora and Cheyenne - as close to the event as possible reports she was unable to get within three blocks of the city park, all roads having been blocked by yellow barracades. Failing to reach ground-zero, my wife turned back to town and discovered a small group of protesters in front of the local Democratic Headquarters. The daughters chose to be deposited there and report being enthusiasticly welcomed with sandwhiches, cookies and cold drinks and were somewhat surprised to find, had they come without their pre-made protest signs; poster board, paint and other supplies were freely available inside democratic headquarters. Democratic HeadQuarters The Daughters (L-R) Cheyenne and Mora More Pictures of the Dangerous Protesters I must admit I saw no sign of the detestable 'free speech zone'. Yet, security for the 'president' was highly noticable. Secret Service combed the neighborhood for hidden terrorists, bomb sniffing dogs probed the roadsides for that sort of thing. Twenty minutes before the 'president's' arrival a huge helicopter gunship flew overheard rattling windows and walls and luring out of their homes the clueless to see what the matter was. In what was perhaps an unordered act of zealousness someone went down highway 22 ( the path Gearge Bush's entourage took into town ) and removed the protest signs from citizen's front yards. One small and subtle sign bearing a cartoon character peeing on a bush excaped their notice. Several attendees of the event were overheard complaining of standing three hours in a muddy centerfield to hear Mr. Bush deliver the same speech he had delivered in Canton two hours earlier and which had been broadcast in it's entirety on CNN.

Have a great day America.
Hope Is On The Way!
not an endorsement of John Kerry but of the american people
  Sunday July 25th

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Today I learned GW Bush is coming to my hometown. To Cambridge, Ohio. Pop. 13,000+.
 
I don't know much more about it just now. Just what I have read in the local paper. Funny that just last night I had posted to a message board regarding the 'free speech zones'. Guess I will get to find out first hand what one looks like, how one comes to be stuck into one, etc.
 
Should be interesting.

Not Quite Daily

Sept 6th
I see the Narcissistic Flight girl, Roxy, has picked up on the fact I am watching her. *s*  You go girl!

Aug 18th
At the suggestion of my dear friend Carol I have updated my profile pic. Seems she thought it was too old of a picture. And ... I was thinking it was the only one in which I look truely professional. Oh well. Now you can see me as I really am, an middle-aged stuck-in-the-sixties hippy/freak typing away at the keyboard in his up-stairs room.
Hope you're happy Carol.
 
And I'm thinking I can change the world from up here?
 
Aug 18th
Still deducing what it is I can do with this blog short of being arrested for complacency. Not an easy task squeezed in as it must be between the rest of what it I am figuring how to do. That is how it should be though. Ever growing. Ever learning.
 
Would be nice if someone commented on something I have said. Guess the real problem is I haven't said anything yet.
 
Aug 10th
Have finished the latest round of updates to Rabble Resources.
 
July 23
Today I said Yes to Peace.

Getting Traction

Aug 12, 2004

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Did I mention I am an adult webmaster?
Not that this is a high-end occupation ( I guess it could be ), but ... I'm not making a hell of a lot of progress. Not that I am making much progress anywhere in my web mastering venture.
Still; 10th Street After Hours was/is my original venture into trying to make some sort of living out of the HTML skills I was developing at the time. (Summer 1999)
Seemed easy. Slap up some porn pics and make money.
What did I know?

July 17, 2004

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things have been slow going since the 'big crash' in May. (I think I have mentioned the crash in passing)

My trusty computer - actually a *&^%#(@ antique - blew it's primary power transformer and ( just to kick me in the balls good ) trashed out my main harddrive as well.

This resulted in the loss of all my bookmarks, my address book, all of my affiliate informations and my rather extensive 'licensed photo content'.

And, when one is thinking of themselves as an 'up-and-coming' adult webmaster - this is not good.

Mooving On

June 13th, 2004

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Several weeks ago I finished getting my new computer system up and running and since then have spent considerable time reconstructing my image, graphic and affiliate resources.  I also decided to take on refurbishing a website for a dear friend of mine, Christine11.   Generally I don't take on outside work.  Prefering to devote my time exclusively to my own projects and web sites.		a very kewl virtual meeting place.
Today was not such a good day for moving on though.

May 31, 2004

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It has been raining here in Ohio for an interminably long time. Not unexpected.   One of the first things I learned when coming to Ohio 16 years ago was that 245 days a year are either rainy or overcast. Not a happy thing discovery for a boy who grew up in St. Petersburg, on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida.   and I'm not even gonna get started on how much I hate the winters.

First Things

Wed. May 12th

Every so often a person has to stop for a moment and think to themselves, "What is important?"  so to gauge how most effectively to use currently available time and resources.  and a whole slew of complicatedly complex cranial cracking calculations can come into play during this process.  But; for me at least,
 

Wednesday mornings are easy. 

 
Wednesday mornings I take take out the freaking garbage.
 
I get eight 30-gal, 29 mils thick, black plastic trash bags ( eight is the maximum number of garbage bags I can put out without having to pay an extra dollar a piece to have them hauled away ) out of the back of an old chevy window van that sits rusting in the back yard of my late 19th century, two-story victorian fixer-upper and haul them to front yard where I stack them under the second of three stately maple trees which grow there.
 
I like those trees. They shelter the house from the hot afternoon summer sun.

 
Sat. May 15th
 

The house is in need of work.
Home maintenance and repair aren't first things though.
Not yet. Not this year.
 
Later home maintenance will be a first thing.
I'll drag out the paint brushes and the hammer.
Nails and a ladder. A radio for music maybe. And then I'll spend some hot summer days working on the house.
 
Not yet though.
 
Right now I have bigger problems.
 
I am working at bringing up my new computer system.
Very important to me. A first thing.
 
I am a webmaster. Without my computer
I have no access. Without access:
I have no voice.

 
Sat. May 19th
 

Another Wednesday has come.
Another load of garbage has been hauled out front.
 
Funny that life should be like this:
measured in trash days.