SOTD: Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – ‘Amazing Grace’

Leave a Message!

It’s interesting… We get phone calls. Lots of ‘em. We find out about them at the end of each month, when the phone company sends an itemized list of every call that rings the phone. And what a shock… lots of calls and no messages. Employing journalist tricks, I can discover the identities of most of the callers — they’re calling with serious purpose. So why don’t they leave a message so I can call them back right away?

I do not know, but there is a solution to this dilemma. Folks, if you call and get the recording — I do leave the office on occasion and I’m the one person answering — please leave me a message. That’s the only way I can get back to you the same day or the next. If you’re calling, you have a reason. It’s important. So give me the opportunity to show you how seriously I take your call — leave a message so whatever your issue, it can be addressed, so whatever your question, I can answer it, so whatever your funny or sad story you have to share is, I can laugh or cry with you, so that if you need assistance, I can (hopefully) provide it or direct you to someone who can.

It’s important, OK?

Leave a message!

It’s ba-a-a-ack!

Since putting my longtime blog, All Facts and Opinions on temporary hold to allow me to focus on GDPR and other projects, I’ve missed it. A lot. Apparently, so have many of you, which I appreciate greatly. With the US presidential race going full tilt and another dangerous choice looming, I had to get back into the opinionizing game, and dammit, I missed AF&O…

So it’s back. AF&O is available at gratefuldread.net and at http://gratefuldread.wordpress.com. Join us regularly for progressive news, commentary, pop culture, lifestyle stuff, and more. And yes, the Reindeer Game will return, perhaps not right away, as I’m dealing with administrative matters right now, but very soon. Come by, I want it to be enlightening, engaging, enraging at times, and entertaining, and it will be way more fun if you’re part of it. Visit, read, comment, play, tell us what YOU think. Come on by — and keep listening to GDPR too! We need your support if we’re going to make a positive difference in this messed-up world and keep evildoers like the frightening Mr. Anger Management and his seriously scary number two at bay.

PEACE AND LOVE,
Natalie

Unions Passing Resolutions to Honor, Assist Folksinger/Storyteller Bruce “Utah” Phillips

From:  George Mann
georgeandjulius@att.net

The great folksinger and storyteller Utah Phillips (http://www.utahphillips.org/) has had to retire from performing due to chronic and serious heart problems that have plagued him for years. In recognition of his great love for and work on behalf of the union movement and working people of the United States, several union locals have passed resolutions honoring Phillips and attaching donations for his “retirement fund.”

Unable to travel or stand the rigors of performing a two-hour concert, Phillips has seen his main source of income vanish just when his medical problems are demanding more money for treatment and medications.
In response, Local 1180 of the Communications Workers of America (NYC), and both the Detroit and the James Connolly (Upstate New York) Branches of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) have recently passed the the following resolution:

Bruce “Utah” Phillips is a truly unique American treasure. Not just a great folksong writer and interpreter, not just a great storyteller, Utah has preserved and presented the history of our nation’s working people and union movement for audiences throughout the world. His recorded work keeps these songs and stories alive. He has spoken up against the injustices of boss-dominated capitalism and worked for peace and justice for more than 40 years.

Now Utah finds himself unable to continue performing due to severe heart problems. We wish to honor and recognize his great talent, spirit and love for the working people and the union movement of the United States. Therefore, we move to pass this resolution in gratitude for all he has done and will continue to do in his work and life. We also wish to contribute $____ to Utah Phillips in appreciation and in solidarity as he and his wife, Joanna Robinson, deal with his health and the loss of his ability to work.

This news is being released with the hope that other unions, anti-war and labor-affiliated organizations will respond in kind by passing this or similar resolutions in appreciation for all Utah Phillips has done for the cause of unions and peace.

Another way that organizations and individuals can help is by purchasing some or all of Utah’s vast catalog of songs and stories. All of his CDs and more information are available at his website,  http://www.utahphillips.org/, and Utah has begun posting podcasts up there that you can download and listen to! You can also order his CDs online (credit card sales) through http://www.cdbaby.com/, b ut be advised that prices are cheaper and more of that money will go into Utah’s hands if you order directly from him. More info on his website.

Here’s the address for CD orders and to send a donation:
U. Utah Phillips
No Guff Records
P.O. Box 1235
Nevada City, CA 95959
(530) 265-2476

Utah has given so much of himself to the labor and peace movements. It is great news that some unions and many have chosen to give something back to him, to allow him and his wife, Joanna Robinson, to rest easy, work on his long-term health, and not have to worry about where money will come for the medicine and bills he has to pay.

Daniel Grayling Fogelberg, 1951-2007

 I am speechless. He was my favorite artist for more than 30 years.

This is the very photo that has served as my computer screensaver since I have had a computer.

Godspeed, Dan.

 http://www.danfogelberg.com/news.html

http://www.thelivinglegacy.net/Articles/2000Interview.html

When Dan was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2004, he posted a message to his web site that, naturally, sought to help others. On the day of his death, it seems appropriate to share the artist’s own words with all of you. Men, please take it to heart. Women, if you care about any men, encourage them to get tested before it’s too late.

To each and every man….

I cannot encourage you strongly enough to get a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) and a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test EVERY YEAR.The medical community suggests this for men over 50, but men with a family history of prostate cancer should start getting tested at age 40.The PSA test is a simple blood test…it only takes a minute or two. The DRE, okay, every man squirms at the thought of this exam, but hey, it too takes only a minute or two, and IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Prostate cancer can be very slow growing or very aggressive, but detected early while it is still confined to the prostate gland, it can usually be treated and cured successfully.

Once it spreads beyond the prostate it is called Advanced Prostate Cancer (PCa). At this point it becomes imminently more life threatening and harder to treat. Do yourself and your loved ones a huge favor and GET CHECKED REGULARLY. I promise you, you DON’T want to go through what I’m going through if you can avoid it.

Education and awareness are key, I urge you to follow the link below to the Prostate Cancer Foundation web site and read up on how best to protect yourself and reduce your likelihood of contracting this terrible disease.”

Follow the link. Get informed and get tested. Remember, if Dan Fogelberg had been aware of his illness earlier — his diagnosis didn’t come until he was advanced stage — perhaps this day would be different.

But life is what it is. Let us remember all the good, recall and benefit from the lessons learned, and move ever on into the future, taking up Dan’s song and becoming voices for peace.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

from Soulforce

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Soulforce invites you to pause and remember those who have lost their lives as a result of anti-trans violence. We grieve for the following transgender people who were killed this year simply because of their gender identity and expression:

Nakia Ladelle Baker
Keittiral Langnaura
Moira Donaire
Michelle Carrasco “Chlea”
Ruby Rodriguez
Erica Keel
Bret T. Turner
Victoria Arellano
Oscar Mosqueda

At least one transgender person loses their life each month because of social prejudice and religion-based bigotry. Despite being the target of immense hatred and intolerance, transgender people have often been the first to take a stand for social justice during our movement’s struggle for equality and liberation. As we grieve, we also honor the leadership, bravery and passion of the transgender community, and work to transform our mourning into a steadfast determination to speak out, stand up, and resist injustice. Soulforce renews our vow to fight for the transgender community and will be doing so in new and visible ways in 2008 and beyond.

DC EVENT: Peace Action 50th Anniversary

Please join U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) in a celebration of Peace Action’s 50th anniversary and our anthology Peace Action: Past, Present and Future

The evening will include refreshments, brief remarks and a book-signing with authors who contributed to Peace Action: Past, Present and Future including Rep. Lee, Marcus Raskin, Sandy Gottlieb and Kevin Martin

    Wednesday, November 7, 2007

    6:00 to 8:00 pm

    Rayburn House Office Building, room B-354

    Washington, DC 20515

The Rayburn Building is on Independence Ave., SE directly across from
the Capitol Building.  Parking on Capitol Hill is very limited, please
consider public transportation (Capitol South is the closest Metro
stop).

RSVP your attendance to Yeabu Conteh at 301-565-4050, ext. 318

Powered by ScribeFire.

Ich Bin Eine Bad German

Great commentary from the NY Times’ Frank Rich. Please read it in its entirety and give real thought to the matter: Are you a good German or a bad German? (We know what we are — we are among the few who never bought Bush’s “war” and have screamed about it — and have been punished for it in myriad ways — since the beginning.)

An excerpt from Rich’s “The ‘Good Germans’ Among Us”:

I have always maintained that the American public was the least culpable of the players during the run-up to Iraq. The war was sold by a brilliant and fear-fueled White House propaganda campaign designed to stampede a nation still shellshocked by 9/11. Both Congress and the press — the powerful institutions that should have provided the checks, balances and due diligence of the administration’s case — failed to do their job. Had they done so, more Americans might have raised more objections. This perfect storm of democratic failure began at the top.

As the war has dragged on, it is hard to give Americans en masse a pass. We are too slow to notice, let alone protest, the calamities that have followed the original sin.

Watch out for the “Good Germans” in our midst. They are not friends of justice, equality, peace or truth.

Spiritual Leader Sri Chinmoy, 1931-2007

Peace activist and spiritual guru Sri Chinmoy dead at 76 – Reuters

Chinmoy was born in India and in 1964 immigrated to New York, working in the Indian Consulate. He later started a meditation center that eventually spread around the world.

A statement issued on behalf of Chinmoy’s followers said he had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Friday. He was a strong supporter of the United Nations and his charities sent food and medicine around the world.

Chinmoy’s followers were said to take on a regimen of vegetarianism, humanitarian service and extreme physical challenges as a way to inner peace. He set an example by running ultra-marathons before switching to weightlifting. Acolytes said he was capable of lifting airplanes and had written more than 1,600 books of prose and poetry in his quest for world peace.

David Rovics on the RIAA and Downloading

Very interesting article and point of view…

The RIAA vs the World – MediaChannel.org