what the… ? ? !

I don’t get it. (see tags)

I should add… I like it! 🙂

I’ve loved Bonnie’s Raitt’s music for ages. Not just her music but really her whole vibe. Yeah, I love the red headed vibrancy she emanates and her guitar chops kick ass.  She’s right there with the blues and she can bring you to your knees with some of those soulful ballads too.

What I didn’t know was that she’s had a long standing relationship with AFSC.

One of our most famous families of supporters are the entertainers (father) John and (daughter) Bonnie Raitt. Their roots in peace go back to the early 1960s, when John Raitt starred in an AFSC-produced film urging nuclear disarmament.  We present these clips from “Which Way the Wind?” to show that even when things change, they remain the same.

When John Raitt, Marsha Hunt, and James Whitmore made this film almost 50 years ago, the world remembered Hiroshima and Nagasaki vividly.  That memory has faded.  The nuclear threat remains.

Here’s a sweet 2 minute interview where Bonnie talks about her early influences:

As I’ve said here before, my activism was honed in the early 70’s when I was in high school. I learned from some incredibly fine people,  most of them my agemates, and I internalized many of the principles and values of the AFSC.

This AFSC community works to transform conditions and relationships both in the world and in ourselves, which threaten to overwhelm what is precious in human beings. We nurture the faith that conflicts can be resolved nonviolently, that enmity can be transformed into friendship, strife into cooperation, poverty into well-being, and injustice into dignity and participation. We believe that ultimately goodness can prevail over evil, and oppression in all its many forms can give way.

Dog-gate, lol.

Edit#2: be sure to go read Michael’s great piece also.

Edit#1 all the way at the bottom…LL.

Okay look, its raining and Im fingers-numb cold and my connection might fizz out, but I want to talk about this little bru-ha.ha on another level, with a new spin. “Crisis equals opportunity” and all that.

We have a record-breaking number of comments in the essay up there on the top of the List and a sheepish, wait, wrong word, maybe sobered? Underdog this morning who I imagine is feeling like its been much ado about nothing. Well, I dont think its nothing but I also dont think it should fall on the shoulders of Underdog alone, nor should he be somehow a Martyr for the Cause re censorship or CT or that.

Id like to look at this, a step further, and see if we can shift it into a “teachable moment”, a more activist moment. I encourage your thoughts in comments. A few of my own across the divide.

sorry for the drive by essay, but I wanted to share a few links with you. maybe someone can pick up the ball?

Meditation for Peace Sept 25

The Mass Meditation for Peace was created out of a need to have a response to the G20 Summit that was both spiritually modivated and politically conscious. There has been a lot of fear and chaos around this Summit coming to Pgh. We wanted to provide a venue that would make people feel comfortable to participate and express their concerns about the Summit through just being present.

Our message, in the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, is “Peace in Oneself, Peace in the World”. We will be gathered to show the importance of creating peace within oneself. Our intent is not to oppose the G20 Summit but rather to emphasize this important point of view.

The meditation will take place Friday Sept. 25th at 10am on Flagstaff Hill with an anticipated attendance of 200. We will sit in silent solidarity for 90 minutes.

Participants are asked to wear a white shirt if possible. At 11:30, those who wish will walk together to the starting point of the “People’s March to the G20”. We have been invited by the organizers of the march to be pillars of support to help maintain a peaceful atmosphere.

News from today below…

I got the hospital bill today. (broken wrists x 2)

I’ll be talking to some folks to figure out how all this works, but… damn.

Anyone else got the blues tonight? Chime on in!

FDL’s Slinkerwink has an action diary up on the rec list now at the orange with a new idea inside it. Cool idea. Slinkerwink plans to create a youtube slideshow.

I’ve got plenty of real estate left (especially on my left cast)!

/center>

…

there’s no place like home!

ha!

One night, a few months or so ago, I went scavenging through some of the earliest essays of DD. I forget what I was hunting for, or maybe I was just trying to get a better feel of the place, I don’t know. But, oh! what gems I found! (see the “ha!” link above, a great one from On The Bus!!)  Alas, I did not bookmark them other than in my own brain, so I’ll have to see what else I come across anew, as I meander through my day today.

If any of you have fun ones you’d like to add, please linky-winky in a comment and I’ll update.. (Rusty, I know you’ve got a goldmine hidden!)

I encourage anyone new-ish to go see On The Bus’ original Blog Blessing posted (before the launch) on AUG 18, 2007.

DD Greatest Hits…

Here’s a couple that were dug up by On The Bus:

from Buhdy, May 1, 2008, Writing in the Raw, Meat

from Rusty, Feb 14, 2009, Valentine Confessions 2009

very funny, OTB. 😉

Okay, from me, here’s one of Rusty’s, from Feb 17 2009, that I think suits this day:  A New Voice Was Heard

OH! Okay okay, I promise not to get carried away, but this is The Shit right here: Rusty, “Blogging The Future”.

We gotta be ready this time. We gotta do this. Say it with me now:

“Enough!”

This person norabb said it well this morning at the orange but it scrolled off. He included several good media links and addy’s.  I sure hope to see the entire Rec List over there today with nothing but this. And then some.

(I can dream, can’t I?)

The right wing has a message machine that always seems to work better than ours.  They have surely already written their attack pieces against President Obama’s big speech tonight.  I propose that we all have our own support message ready to go immediately after the speech.

UPDATE (11:40AM):  Here’s an ACTION call out from the ever vigilant slinkerwink.

UPDATE #2, 12:20PM, from tahoebasha3′s comment below (thanks!):

Here is another action that can be taken tonight, right after the speech:

   After the speech, Jarrett and Axelrod will return to the airwaves. And as part of the White House new-media strategy, Communications Director Anita Dunn will go on www.whitehouse.gov right afterward to engage with online viewers through a live video chat, responding to reactions and questions received via Facebook and Twitter.

UPDATE #3, 12:24PM,: here’s a comment from nyceve in slinkerwink’s GOS Diary:

Jane Hamsher and I  are heading to Capitol Hill, where we will be distributing the petitions all of you turned into reality (a 50,000 plus signature reality) to at least three progressive members of Congress.

So far, we’ve got appointments Pete Stark, Keith Ellison, and Raul Grijalva (sorry for my bad spelling). Now let me tell you guys something, a trip to Capitol Hill is special, when when you’re with Jane Hamsher, it’s memorable.

Then, we’ll be watching the President at 8PM.  Whatever he says, I want all of you to know, this battle is far, far from over, and you can take it to the bank.

And I thought Lawrence O’Donnell made some excellent points on tv last night…

And… see copy of FDL’s email from Jane below…

Rachel interviews Tom Ridge

I can’t believe they have the clips up this fast already. That was fast.

had to share, I know alot of you dharmadawgs dont “do” teevee. heh. edger, check out the one with Iraq in the topic title.

egads. on youtube too, embed below…

oh snap! I’ve really neglected my other hobbies…! I almost missed this entirely!!

Looks even better than I had imagined! (Doesnt release until March 2010).