Middle of the Road
Saturday, June 26, 2004 | comments (0)
The Big Hunt of the 90's
Saturday, June 26, 2004 | comments (0)
We went to see The Hunting of the President last night. It really paints a vivid, though mostly partisan, view of the right-wing agenda to get Clinton out of office. It brings to light how right-wing 'moralists' love to attack Democrat leaders based on what they do wrong in bed, in private, and ignore any truly relavant public issues. To me, the most resonant testimonial was from David Brock, author of Blinded by the Right, and former reporter for the Republican, ultra-conservative American Spectator. It's one thing to hear about the right-wing agenda from the left, but it's another to hear about it from somebody who used to be part of it. You'll leave this one with a lot to talk about.
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A Week of Parades
Friday, June 11, 2004 | comments (0)
This past Saturday, as Cath and I were leaving our apartment to get groceries, we saw a flurry of police activity at the corner of our street and Connecticut. We asked a bystander what was going on and he informed us that there was an anti-war rally marching it's way up Connecticut and was going to stop in front of Donald Rumsfeld's house, which is a couple hundred feet from us. We decided to forgo the grocery shopping (neither one of us really wanted to do that anyway) and watch the march instead. As we waited in the intersection of Kalorama and Connecticut, it began filling with DC Police. There must have been about 15-20 cars full of officers. We talked a little with a CNN news crew, who had been at the march where it began in Lafayette Park and had driven up here to wait for it.
Finally the march came. There were probably between 1,000 and 2,000 people. As they turned west on Kalorama toward Rumsfeld's house, I was struck not only by the amount of people involved, but the diversity of the crowd. Chanting things like, "Donald Rumsfeld, you can't hide, we don't want your genocide," the rally reminded me of some throwback to the 60's, only without the pot and beads.
The police allowed some of the crowd to proceed down Kalorama, but some were blocked off. Why they did this was not immediately evident, though I'm sure there must have been some reason. It didn't go over well with the crowd, though, and several people began crying, 'Fascists!' After about 5 minutes, the police decided to open up the blockade and let everybody through. Then the police lined up on the sidewalk in front of Rumsfeld's house while the crowd stopped in the street.
It began to rain, but the crowd remained. I couldn't help but feel that while many of these people were very impassioned, the overall effect of the demonstration was benign. Rumsfeld wasn't at home. The cops and the media were there, but nobody really noticed the demonstration because it was off on a quiet side-street, away from the main course of traffic along Connecticut. I haven't really seen any detailed accounts of the march online in any major American news source, though I did find several in non-American sources. Just do a search on Google News. I guess any media attention it may have gotten was quickly overshadowed that afternoon by the passing of Ronald Reagan.
Which brings us to the second march I got to witness this week - the procession of Ronald Reagan's coffin along Constitution on Wednesday. There has been a lot of press going to Ronald Reagan this week and most of the TV media seems to be putting a positive spin on his administration, which is fine. He was a good leader, and a great man. I certainly respect him for his unrelenting optimism and his faith in America. But come on, some of his policies have gotten us into some very deep trouble. Let's not forget that. I've read a few editorials that are bringing us back to reality. They've also run some fair stuff on NPR. But most of what we're hearing and seeing on TV is high gloss, which doesn't surprise me.
Anyway, the procession was one of those events that I did not want to miss. Regardless of how you feel about Reagan's politics, nobody can deny the influence he's had on American culture, and it seems appropriate to honor that.
I went down to Constitution with some friends from work. There was already quite a crowd. One of my friends was able to claim a high space on this electrical unit outside the IRS building. All the other high ground was snatched up quickly. People were standing on stone planters along the sidewalk. A couple of people claimed a wheeled construction sign. I stood with a few others on a platform that was sucking in air below us. It afforded something of a view, but the noise of all that air made it extremely annoying. When the parade began to go by, I decided to leave this perch and move to more quiet ground. Unfortunately, this meant my view wasn't as good, but I think a big part of the parade was the somber silence that accompanied it. Occassionally that silence was broken by music from one of the military bands, but other than that, it was a quiet procession. There were several black limos that accompanied the horse-drawn carriage that carried Reagan's body. You could not see inside any of the cars, but it gave me a strange feeling to know that Nancy Reagan was in one of them, along with other members of Reagan's family. I snapped some photos, but I'm sure none of them are going to be too great. We'll see.
It was very hot day. According to some of the people I spoke with, a few of the guards posted along the parade route passed out. We saw this kid come over near the loud air vent where I had been for a while, completely green in the face. I think he was feeling the effects of heat exhaustion. His dad was with him. The kid layed down on the ground and didn't move. I felt bad for him. At the same time, he now has an interesting story to tell his grandchildren: 'During Reagan's procession down Constitution back in 2004, your grandpa was lying on the ground sick from heat exhaustion.'
link to this | comments (0) | File: DC
Finally the march came. There were probably between 1,000 and 2,000 people. As they turned west on Kalorama toward Rumsfeld's house, I was struck not only by the amount of people involved, but the diversity of the crowd. Chanting things like, "Donald Rumsfeld, you can't hide, we don't want your genocide," the rally reminded me of some throwback to the 60's, only without the pot and beads.
The police allowed some of the crowd to proceed down Kalorama, but some were blocked off. Why they did this was not immediately evident, though I'm sure there must have been some reason. It didn't go over well with the crowd, though, and several people began crying, 'Fascists!' After about 5 minutes, the police decided to open up the blockade and let everybody through. Then the police lined up on the sidewalk in front of Rumsfeld's house while the crowd stopped in the street.
It began to rain, but the crowd remained. I couldn't help but feel that while many of these people were very impassioned, the overall effect of the demonstration was benign. Rumsfeld wasn't at home. The cops and the media were there, but nobody really noticed the demonstration because it was off on a quiet side-street, away from the main course of traffic along Connecticut. I haven't really seen any detailed accounts of the march online in any major American news source, though I did find several in non-American sources. Just do a search on Google News. I guess any media attention it may have gotten was quickly overshadowed that afternoon by the passing of Ronald Reagan.
Which brings us to the second march I got to witness this week - the procession of Ronald Reagan's coffin along Constitution on Wednesday. There has been a lot of press going to Ronald Reagan this week and most of the TV media seems to be putting a positive spin on his administration, which is fine. He was a good leader, and a great man. I certainly respect him for his unrelenting optimism and his faith in America. But come on, some of his policies have gotten us into some very deep trouble. Let's not forget that. I've read a few editorials that are bringing us back to reality. They've also run some fair stuff on NPR. But most of what we're hearing and seeing on TV is high gloss, which doesn't surprise me.
Anyway, the procession was one of those events that I did not want to miss. Regardless of how you feel about Reagan's politics, nobody can deny the influence he's had on American culture, and it seems appropriate to honor that.
I went down to Constitution with some friends from work. There was already quite a crowd. One of my friends was able to claim a high space on this electrical unit outside the IRS building. All the other high ground was snatched up quickly. People were standing on stone planters along the sidewalk. A couple of people claimed a wheeled construction sign. I stood with a few others on a platform that was sucking in air below us. It afforded something of a view, but the noise of all that air made it extremely annoying. When the parade began to go by, I decided to leave this perch and move to more quiet ground. Unfortunately, this meant my view wasn't as good, but I think a big part of the parade was the somber silence that accompanied it. Occassionally that silence was broken by music from one of the military bands, but other than that, it was a quiet procession. There were several black limos that accompanied the horse-drawn carriage that carried Reagan's body. You could not see inside any of the cars, but it gave me a strange feeling to know that Nancy Reagan was in one of them, along with other members of Reagan's family. I snapped some photos, but I'm sure none of them are going to be too great. We'll see.
It was very hot day. According to some of the people I spoke with, a few of the guards posted along the parade route passed out. We saw this kid come over near the loud air vent where I had been for a while, completely green in the face. I think he was feeling the effects of heat exhaustion. His dad was with him. The kid layed down on the ground and didn't move. I felt bad for him. At the same time, he now has an interesting story to tell his grandchildren: 'During Reagan's procession down Constitution back in 2004, your grandpa was lying on the ground sick from heat exhaustion.'
link to this | comments (0) | File: DC
Fahrenheit 911 Trailer
Thursday, June 03, 2004 | comments (0)
Laughter is the best medicine
Wednesday, June 02, 2004 | comments (0)
Catherine sent me my horoscope this morning. I plan on opening a DC Chapter Laughter Club in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further details!
link to this | comments (0) | File: Ho_Hum
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)Check out the link to laughteryoga when you have a chance. They have a photo area, which made me chuckle (and isn't that the point.) If you look closely you can make out the secret they don't want you to know: a thin cloud of cannabis rising above them.
Laughter Yoga (www.laughteryoga.org) is a new international phenomenon that began in India. Practitioners gather together regularly to engage in half-hour sessions of nonstop chuckling, chortling, and cackling. Yogic breathing exercises supplement the therapeutic value. The month of June will be an ideal time for you Sagittarians to launch local branches of these Laughter Clubs. The astrological omens say you'll be running into an extraordinary number of funny things. That's lucky for you, because you have a lot of accumulated tension to purge, and the best way to do that is by having hilarious experiences.
Courtesy of freewillastrology.com
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