Zombies For Democracy In Wisconsin

State Street in Madison Wisconsin witnessed one of the more unusual marches against the Fitzwalker regime today as hundreds of the living dead and their supporters took to the street to express themselves.This was shortly after another somewhat smaller gathering of union supporters at the capitol. In attendance were teachers, state workers and immigration activists, among others.

Update: Wisconsin Recall Efforts

The Milwaukee Journal reports on the first of what will be many deliviries of signatures to the state's Governmental Accountability Board. The following are a few salient points from the article which I have taken the liberty of translating from the native obfusacatese to what it really means:

"Organizers of the recall campaign against state Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) delivered about 21,700 signatures Friday in an attempt to force Kapanke into a recall election - well beyond the 15,588 signatures required, and in half the time allotted to collect them."----That's a shitload of signatures from pissed off people rounded up in a short period of time.

"The filing of the signatures with the state Government Accountability Board was the first from the recall campaigns against 16 senators being waged around the state. And it suggested that Democrats seeking to unseat Republicans are better organized, or at least better coordinated, than those on the other side.

For example, recall efforts against the Republicans were all registered the same day and with the same treasurer, and organizers say they're shipping their signatures to Madison as they collect them."-------In an unusual move the Democrats, or rather people who support the Democrats for lack of anything better, are highly organized on this project.

"By contrast, Kim Simac, the Eagle River tea party activist running the recall campaign against Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Conover), says petitions and envelopes are piled up on her kitchen table.

"It's a mess," she says. "I'll be glad to get my life back when this is over" - though she also said she's confident her organization will get enough signatures to force a recall election against Holperin.

Juston Johnson, a state Republican Party spokesman, says the Republican efforts are purely grass roots.

"It's a top-down effort on the Democratic side," Johnson said."-----the Republicans don't have a fucking clue what they've stirred up let alone what to do about it. It also begs the question of what constitutes grass roots coming from artificial plants.

"Kapanke couldn't be reached for comment Friday, but Bill Feehan, chairman of the La Crosse County Republican Party, said the announcement that the goal was reached was "not a big surprise."-----Locked in a closet and crying.

"Kapanke was identified by several political scientists recently as the most vulnerable of the 16 senators targeted for recall, because of the relatively strong performance of Democrats in his district in the past two statewide elections."----Likely to be locked in the closet and disconsolate for sometime to come.

Leningrad Cowboys & Russian Red Army Choir - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" / "Oh, Field"

A Miserable Day In The Life Of A Fukushima Rescue Worker

Business Insider reports on the treatment of workers expected to save Japan. Republicans are no doubt taking note for further degradation or irradiation of the working class:

"Kyodo has published a depressing description of a day in the life of a Fukushima rescue worker.
Around 400 workers sleep in conference rooms and hallways in a nearby building, wrapped in lead-lined sheets.
At 6 a.m. they wake up and receive 30 "survival food crackers" and a 180 millliter pack of vegetable juice.
Until recently they were limited to one bottle of mineral water during the day.
They work through lunch.
At 5 p.m. they return to their shelter, where they eat rice and one can of chicken or fish. The men look warn out, according to nuclear safety official Kazuma Yokota.
No wonder the workers say they can't stand it anymore in emails also published today."

MSNB's Dylan Ratigan Talks To Mark Ames & Yasha Levine About The Koch Brothers

An succinct history of recent American oligarchic kleptocracy and the ramifications beyond Wisconsin. Ames and Levine are uniquely qualified given their experience in Russia with the Exile.

TEPCO CEO Hasn't Been Seen In Weeks

Speculation now swirls around the whereabouts or existence of the CEO of the Japanese energy firm TEPCO which owns the facility at Fukushima. Business Insider relates:

"His company is in the midst of an existential crisis that may see it go bankrupt or nationalized. So where is TEPCO CEO Masataka Shimizu.

The Washington Post runs a startling report noting that he hasn't been seen in two weeks at his upscale Tokyo apartment, nor is he showing up in public, nor did he join the head of the country's nuclear safety board in front of the Diet.

There are rumors in Japan that he has fled the country or committed suicide, More likely, however, is that he's basically gone into hermitude, not unlike Toyota's CEO during the recent brake pedal controversy.

Politicians are furious, calling his absence inexcusable.

Meanwhile, TEPCO shares have crashed hard for the second straight day as the odds grow that a nationalization will wipe out all the equity."

Rap News 7: #revolution (Wisconsin Edition), Meanwhile Walker Tanks in the Polls

As much as I enjoyed the above satire Dane 101 reports on Walker's continued plummet in the polls:

"A new poll out today shows a widening margin in Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's approval rating. The poll, conducted on March 27 by We Ask America, finds that 54.87 percent of Wisconsinites disapprove of the job Walker is doing while 43.71 percent approve. The pollster notes an even more striking number in the results, only 1.42 percent of those polled had "no opinion." We Ask America's margin of error is +/- 2.38 percent.

The most recent poll before this one (that I can find, so please correct me if I missed one) was released on March 4 by Conservative polling outfit Rasmussen. That poll found 43 percent approved or strongly approved and 57 percent disapproved or strongly disapproved. Rasmussen's margin of error is +/- 4 percent.

The substantial change seen in the recent polls comes when undecideds are factored in. The first known poll was released on February 22 by Democratic polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner. In that poll they found 43 percent approved with Walker and 51 percent disapproved.

Comparing the February 22 polling data to the March 27 polling data it appears that Walker isn't making many new friends. While his approval rating has remained stagnant his disapproval rate is fluid. Undecideds, it appears, have begun to take a position and that position is one of disapproval."

Forward Wisconsin.

Laibach America and Morality

Laibach has always been a difficult study for most Americans. The Slovenian take on things doesn't translate easily but is worth listening to these days.

Welcome to Hudson, Governor Walker

The Middle western despot again flees the people this time in Hudson caught on film by folks from St.Paul.The heartening aspect of this is working Americans awakening to the realities of corporate fascism.

Cumbion Mountain - Chico Sonido & Toy selectah - official video

Also known as Up Bustle and Out with hints of "RawHide". More Wisconsin republican corporate criminality in the next days.....it never ends.

Backdoor Scotty

Scott Walker now travels around the state like an Arab despot avoiding the mobs.

Kismet - Love will tear us apart

Joy Division cover by Macedonian Serbs playing bagpipes. Need I say more?

Wisconsin State Troopers Not a Private Army?

While though the Fitzgerald brothers dad runs the highway patrol show even rethugblicans have some insight that this is probably illegal as per CREW:

"Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and his Republican cohorts in the legislature have some explaining to do. The rookie governor rose to national fame after picking a bare knuckled political fight with Democrats over union rights. He showed up on our radar when he illegally sent in the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP) to search for the Democratic state senators who had fled to Illinois.

On February 23rd, we submitted open records requests to the Office of the Governor, the Office of Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and the Wisconsin State Patrol (which is headed by Sen. Fitzgerald’s father, Stephen Fitzgerald) asking for any records of communications regarding the decision to send troopers out after the legislators. Their responses were surprising.

Several documents produced by Senator Fitzgerald’s office clearly show his staff was well aware there was no legal authority to dispatch the troopers, and that doing so would have required - at the very least - an amendment to Senate rules. No legislative fix was ever passed, but the troopers were deployed anyway.

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, which houses the WSP, claims to have no documents about the whole debacle. That seems unlikely. An unprecedented request made of the WSP by the governor and the majority leader, yet there is not one single record about the affair. Do you believe that? Neither do we.

As for the governor, his office is stonewalling, claiming that due to the “breadth” of the request, it could take weeks for his office to respond. Nearly three weeks later, still nothing. We’ll keep after him.

Back in February, CREW filed a complaint with the nonpartisan Government Accountability Board over the misuse of state troopers, and today provided the board with this new information.

It seems pretty clear that Gov. Walker and Sen. Fitzgerald knowingly violated the law. It’s up to the Government Accountability Board to hold them accountable."

The McCarthy-Walker Connection

The New York Times has an Op-Ed by UW Madison history professor William Cronon drawing parallels between Scott Walker and another Wisconsin demagogue, Joseph McCarthy.

Obama, Libya, and "The Death Of The Liberal Class"

The Libyan civil war raises huge questions one of which is where does President Obama stand regarding U.S. policy. A place to start might be our current wars, started by Bush and continued by President Obama. Chris Hedges in his book "Death of The Liberal Class" cites Dostoevsky's "Notes From The Underground" as a description of an ineffectual liberal:

" I never managed to become anything: neither wicked nor good, neither a scoundrel nor an honest man, neither a hero nor an insect..."

Medvedev-Putin partnership split over Libya

An interesting development in Russian domestic politics. Look for Medvedev to perish in some mysterious plane/helicopter/banya accident.

The Kissers perform "Scotty, We're Coming For You" at rally at WI Capitol

Recorded this past Saturday.Love the title.

Libya, Bahrain, and "Good" Wars

As we rev up another "good war" George Galloway raises some uncomfortable points.

Kismet - Post Communism

The best of Macedonian new music.

"My Wisconsin" - budget bill sung to tune of "On, Wisconsin"

From the Greater Wisconsin Committee.

Honest John - the Koch brothers

Quite frankly I don't know this guy but I expect to be very much like him in 10 years or less. I especially like the parting shot.

Glenn Grothman Rejects Love of a Stranger

I have the feeling that we will be seeing more stories of Wisconsin republican strangeness and Glenn Grothman, one of the strangest, weighs in with this one courtesy of the Madison Police:

"Tuesday afternoon, several Madison Police officers were monitoring a crowd of around 100 protesting outside of the M&I Bank, 1 W. Main St., when Sen. Glenn Grothman approached. Demonstrators allowed Sen. Grothman to pass, but some were verbally abusive to the lawmaker. When Sen. Grothman exited the bank, he was also subjected to angry words, but as he walked away a man hugged Sen. Grothman. An officer reported that Grothman did not appear to enjoy the embrace, and was able to squirm away. The officer came up to the man and told him it is not okay to put hands on people who do not wish contact. The man told the officer he had no idea who Sen. Gorthman was, but that he hugged him because,” I loved him." He added that he loves "everyone," and that he decided to hug Grothman because he was wearing a suit, like the one the man used to wear when he worked in insurance. The man told the officer that he is the "peace walker,” that he had trekked here from Las Vegas, and that he is considering running for president. He also asked the officer if he knew "Snoop Dog." The officer said he did not, and again told the man not to touch people who do not want to be touched."

This may be the only love he gets on the streets of Madison that he can expect for some time to come.

Wisconsin Republican Shame, A Case of Gingrichitis

Republicans will need to gird themselves for increased scrutiny as the saga of Randy Hopper amply demonstrates. According to the Raw Story:

"Protesters who marched at the home of Wisconsin state senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) were met with something of a surprise on Saturday. Mrs. Hopper appeared at the door and informed them that Sen. Hopper was no longer in residence at this address, but now lives in Madison, WI with his 25-year-old mistress.

Blogging Blue reports that the conservative Republican's much-younger new flame is currently employed as a lobbyist for right-wing advocacy group Persuasion Partners, Inc., but was previously a state senate staffer who worked on the Senate Economic Development Committee alongside Mr. Hopper. Her bio has been scrubbed from the Persuasion Partners' website, but a screen-grab is available here.

Sen. Hopper has worked closely with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to implement the state's new anti-labor laws and enact policies favorable to the interests of big business. Like Walker, Hopper is one of the Republican politicians named in a massive recall effort spearheaded by Wisconsin Democrats.

According to Wisconsin law, state elected officials who have served at least one year of their current term are eligible for recall by voters. Hopper was elected state senator for district 18 in the fall of 2008, making him eligible for recall, whereas Governor Walker will not be eligible until 2012.

Blogging Blue also reports that Mrs. Hopper intends to sign the recall petition against her husband. The petition has already been signed by the family's maid."

You just can't make this shit up, we are so blessed that our foes are such hypocritical dimwits and I apologize to non-hypocritical dimwits everywhere.

Hipodil - Stand By Me

After a day of solidarity in Madison this version of "Stand By Me" by the Bulgarian group Хиподил seemed somehow appropriate.

Wisconsin Fab 14 Return to Tumultous Welcome

The 14 state senators who fled the state almost 1 month ago returned to a tumultuous welcome at the state capitol in Madison today. The crowd of 50,000 to 100,000 (my estimate, it was big) loudly thanked the legislators for their courage and perseverance which, to a large extent, allowed an unprecedented mass movement to be born. The focus is on recalling scumbag republicans, repealing egregious legislation, and rebuilding civil society in Wisconsin (now known as Fitzwalkerstan). As usual many creative expressions of opinion to be seen amongst the throngs.

Wisconsin: This Is What Corporate Facism Looks Like

A naked power grab in Wisconsin as per TPM:

"The special conference committee in Wisconsin -- convened in order to strip out the fiscal elements of Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, in order to pass the anti-public employee union proposals and avoid the state SenateDemocratic boycott of the three-fifths budget quorum -- just met for roughly five minutes and passed the bill.

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D) attempted to make a motion to delay the meeting or make amendments -- and was not recognized for a motion by the chair, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. Barca argued, over Fitzgerald's attempts to say there would be no motions, that the conference committee violated the state's open meetings law, which requires at least 24 hours notice before a government meeting, unless there is good cause to act more quickly.

The bill then passed in committee on a 4-2, party-line margin -- and in a surreal sight, the online feed of the state equivalent of C-Span, Wisconsin Eye, faded out to tranquil music as the video was playing the shouting and ire of the meeting itself.

The bill to strip away most collective bargaining for public employee unions, and impose new limits on union organization, is now headed to the full chambers.

Late Update: Jessica Arp with the local CBS affiliate reports that the Senate has just passed the bill by a margin of 18-1 -- with only moderate Republican Dale Schultz voting no, in absence of the Democrats who had fled the state in order to block budget quorum.

Mary Spicuzza with the Wisconsin State Journal reports that the Assembly will move on the bill tomorrow."

Sensenbrennner Heckled and Booed at Townhall Meeting

This is sweet on so many levels. First a republican congressman being waylaid at a townhall meeting and having to bail 27 minutes into the proceedings. Even better the congressman is James Sensenbrenner, arguably the dean of rightwingbats in Wisconsin and representative of that heart of darkness, Waukesha county. Quite frankly Scott Walker's agenda and moronic handling of the whole thing is an unbelievable gift.

Hitler Finds Out About Prank Call to Governor Walker

'America Is NOT Broke': Michael Moore Speaks in Madison, WI -- March 5, 2011

The past 3 weeks here have been the the most amazing thing I've seen in my life and gives hope that a true from the bottom up awakening is possible in spite of astroturf movements and media concentration. People who never thought about politics are becoming engaged and breaking the molds. Wisconsin will never be the same.

Moscow Grooves Institue - 2 Professors

Musical relief from American political tension courtesy of MGI.

Elizabeth Warren: Assault on Middle Class (March 1, 2011)

It's debatable whether Scott Wanker has even heard of Elizabeth Warren. He certainly has never heard of the reality that she describes.

Republican Shill Glenn Grothman Pursued in Madison and Rescued By a Democrat

Glenn Grothman is the asshole who referred to the citizen owner/occupiers of the Capitol as "slobs".

Calling Scott Walker a Douchebag is an Insult to Douchebags Everywhere* Or What Does Walker Want Workers To Do

Here's the answer to what Wanker and republicans want.*Favorite sign seen at Madison on Saturday.

Madison Breaking News: They Can Stay

Per TPM the Capitol Police announce the protesters can stay. I say, if the republican lawmakers feel strongly enough they can remove the people themselves. Talk about interesting footage, obese badly dressed white guys with the rare occasional female equivalents fighting with young fit pissed off people. Badgers versus weasels.

Wisconsin: Where Do Things Go From Here?

TPM reports that the protesters have not left the Capitol.While this is in keeping with the heroic nature of what is a spontaneous outpouring there still exists the question of where things go from here. The deeper implications of this struggle are many and not necessarily apparent to all on either side. I was impressed that many at the ongoing event seem to grasp that the survival of an American Middle Class is at stake and that this is not only a question of organized labor but also the consequences of corporate media concentration and the decline of the American Empire. My friend the Wege at Norwegianity has an incisive view:

"What’s it all about? If you’re a righty, Wisconsin is about your deep resentment of public sector workers whose wages and benefits haven’t yet been completely eroded by the selfish few at the top (those who seek always to make their enormous piles even more grotesquely ginormous). If you’re a lefty, the public sector is the last line in the battle to preserve the middle class.

If you’re sane, you wonder what kind of dimwitted middle class moron would support killing unions when it’s obvious that the decline of unions has resulted in wage slavery for most Americans.

In the history of the world, have slaves ever done well? And how exactly did the side that keeps screaming FREEDOM become so enamored with reducing options and gutting safety nets? Is there more dignity in begging for charity than cashing a government check?.....

When wages are going down for all but the rich, what kind of wretchedly hateful person resents the few who have held on to some of what they once had more of? That is what modern Republicanism has been reduced to: hating the survivors of a thirty-year war against workers. Just like they hate those who practice sex or religion differently.

Wisconsin is the last stand against the politics of bigotry and hate, and none of this would be necessary had Rupert Murdoch not founded a 24/7 propaganda channel that lobotomizes its viewers, scooping out their brains one spoonful at a time, replacing gray matter with dark thoughts, paranoia, hatred and resentment.

The left is saying enough is enough. The right replies that enough is never enough, and that the point of having is to have too much, however many have to live with less to enable the winner-takes-all lifestyles of the modern rich."

Madison Wisconsin February 26th Union Shows Its Muscle

En route to Madison today I was uncertain what to expect of the now two week protest against the corporate reorganization of Wisconsin society under the ostensible direction of arguably the worst governor in the state's history. I was not disappointed. If nothing else Walker has energized and educated a huge number of Wisonsinites in the methods and motives of the republican corporate elite as evidenced by the 100,000 who showed up in subfreezing temperatures and snow today. This whole process has been a life changing experience for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin workers and students. Many of these people are the same targeted by republicans for lifestyle and xenophobia issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and illegal immigrants. It will be much harder to push this bullshit in the future when people consider personal and societal well being.

This Is What Democracy Doesn't Look Like

The ongoing move to the corporatist one party state continues in Wisconsin. Above is the video from the charade of democracy which passes for legislative process in a one party system. Also included is the full page ad by the Polish Solidarity (Solidarnosc) which appeared in the Milwaukee Journal today. They were darlings of the right when protesting communism but not so much when standing up for working men and women.

Gov. Scott Wanker Takes On the World

It must have been the Egyptian pizza support of the workers that pushed Scott Walker over the edge and led him to take on the United Nations. From the Fighting Bob blog:

"In 1959, Wisconsin's Governor Gaylord Nelson, so the story goes, decided that the citizens of Wisconsin should be as aware as possible of the United Nations and its aspirations for a world without strife, so he created a unique body, the Wisconsin Governor's Commission on the United Nations, to seek to build that awareness. All governors since then, Republicans and Democrats alike, have appointed commissioners from various civic, religious, labor, business and educational organizations. ...
"Wisconsin’s current commissioners were appointed by both Republican and Democratic governors. I myself was appointed to the Governor's Commission on the United Nations by Governor Jim Doyle in 2004, and I am honored to have been so chosen. It has been a very satisfying experience getting to know my fellow commissioners, and I am firmly of the opinion that we have done valuable work.

But newly installed Governor Scott Walker doesn't think we need this unique institution. We each received a letter from the governor's appointments director thanking us for our service to the state, but announcing, "Recently, the decision was made to not reestablish the Governor's Commission on the United Nations. As a result of this decision, pursuant to Wisconsin Statute, section 14.019, the board [sic] no longer exists at this time."
Incidentally, the commission has operated under an informal budget of about $2,000 per annum, intended primarily for travel reimbursement, and has hardly ever been used. All of us volunteer our time and expenses for this cause.

Dag Hammarskjold, the Swedish diplomat who was the U.N.'s first Secretary General, said, "The U.N. is not just a product of do-gooders. It is harshly real. The day will come when men will see the U.N. and what it means, clearly. Everything will be all right - you know when? When people, just people, stop thinking of the United Nations as some weird Picasso abstraction, and see it as a drawing they made themselves."

All of the citizens of the world should be represented and heard if the world body is to fulfill its challenge. But do all Americans understand that challenge, the goals, successes and occasional failings of the U.N.?

A Wisconsin institution with a 52-year history, the only one of its kind in the United States, is no more. Why? I think we deserve an answer to that question. It has not been an expensive program - virtually no money at all - and has lent our state considerable prestige in international circles. We are told repeatedly that we are living in an increasingly global environment. Doesn't it make sense that we educate Americans on the role that the United Nations can and should play in this?

As of now, I believe that we will continue our efforts as an ad hoc group. We enjoy communicating with each other and feel that we are doing good work, so we'll likely continue without official state sanction. But it's sad that Wisconsin has lost this distinction."

Union busting xenophobic assholes on the loose.

Strawbs - Part of the union 1973

My favorite Strawbs song for decades. Rather dreadful suit though.

More Madison Thoughts and Pictures

There were so many creative minds at work as witnessed by the imaginative signage at the ongoing demonstration of democracy. Of note there were no arrests and no publicly displayed firearms in the crowd of 70,000. BTW the Madison police were great.

Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth (Monterey 1967)

After the visit to Madison today this seems apropos.

Another Amazing Day In Madison

It was a memorable day in Madison. Somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 turned out to express their disgust with the corporate agenda of the Walker regime.I have never seen such an energized crowd of this size in my life. And yes there was a contingent of the sociopathic right wing, they were profoundly out-numbered and left en mass and in a huff about 2 hours before the scheduled completion of their gathering at the southeast corner of the capitol grounds. These people are incapable of grasping the concept of the greatest good for the greatest number.If nothing else the preparations for the end of Scott Wanker's political life are now well underway.

Dmitry Orlov: Peak Oil Lessons From The Soviet Union

Dmirty Orlov is an inspiration for this blog. I first went to the then Soviet Union in 1975, since then I have been struck by the similarities rather than the differences between the two societies, we all soldier on.

Wisconsin: We're All In the Union

Song by the Simpsons. Picture from Mrs. smITh

Wisconsin: Russia Today Weighs In:Wisconsin protests war on unions

Wisconsin's Crowded Capitol: Collective-Bargaining Protest Grows

Madison Struggle Goes On

The amazing situation goes on in Madison. The Senate Democrats have escaped to undisclosed locations and have thwarted a republican fait accomplai. Meanwhile the people continue to mobilize. The local activists are doing an excellent job and who cares about the triangulations of national Democrats especially Obama. The above photos are from Mrs. smITh taken during the day.

Madison, Wi Feb-15-2011 Pro Labor Rally

Time to zero in on the real enemies is now.

Wisconsin Cairo

Corporate fascism advances in Wisconsin. People are starting to react though the struggle will be a long one, at least 1-2 years to recall Walker and another to kick out the republican assembly.Of vital importance will be mobilizing the youth who didn't turn out for the last election. Unfortunately they are learning a hard lesson and the need for real commitment.

The spy from Cairo "Saidi the man" (album: Secretly famous)

After the past several weeks of watching the unfolding events in Cairo I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Watching the U.S. media's coverage I was struck by the ambivalence of American opinion regarding a situation they weren't in control of, a situation made more poignant which given the historical, cultural vacuum that most Americans exist in. This leads to the only socially acceptable form of racism in America namely the demonization of Islam and Arab culture. My favorite explanation of the Egyptian quandry comes from Inanities, a very valuable blog for anyone interested in Egypt:

"PROBLEM PAGE

Dear Agony Aunt

After 30 years with my husband I feel like I need a new start, but he doesn’t feel the same way, and now I can’t get rid of him.

I married my current husband in a rather speedy manner after my previous husband, god rest his soul, was shot by a neighbour who objected to the rather oppressive manner in which my former husband dealt with my neighbour’s plants.

My current husband seemed a little dull and to be honest seemed to lack enthusiasm for tying the knot but I was thinking about my kids so the union went ahead. I learnt to put up with his penchant for inappropriate jokes and the hair dye spilt all over the bathroom once a month. He soon developed a taste for the husband role however and within weeks was preventing me from meeting in groups larger than five and locking me up in our bedroom for weeks without telling anyone where I was if I criticised his taste in shirts.

I also had to contend with his sons from his first marriage, one of whom is an insipid streak of bald shite and the other a football-mad idiot. His ex-wife is no better, always trotting around with her handbag and her perfect hair going on about the importance of everyone reading.

Still I put up with him because whenever I even thought about criticising him his friend Safwat would come round and make me a cup of tea and whisper how he would be happy to “whisk me away from my troubles in no time at all”.

Things went along like this for years until recently when my husband stopped buying stuff for the house and my kids went hungry and every time they complained he’d beat them up and get his mate Habib to lock them in the shed. Whenever I complained he’d go on about how I better shut up because he has friends all over the world especially America and one of them owns a gun shop and if I open my mouth again he’ll get a gun and shoot me in the knees.

Things changed drastically when my next door neighbour chucked her fella out and I realised that I didn’t have to take my husband’s shit anymore. My kids took over the garden, preventing him from getting to his vegetable patch, and burnt down his shed. When Habib and Safwat came round and tried to get them to leave they sprayed them with fertilizer and made them fuck off.

My husband then tried a new tactic by getting his mates from the pub to surround the garden and lob rocks on us. We resisted, and they got bored and buggered off. So then my husband started spreading rumours about me on Facebook, saying that I sleep with men for take away meals, especially fried chicken and chips from Kentucky. That didn’t work, so then he got his mates to beat up any one who came near my house and got people from the Neighbourhood Watch to join in.

Two weeks later and all this failed. My kids are still in the garden going strong and my husband has still not fucked off. Now he’s got his friend Omar to intercede but to be honest, Omar gives me the creeps and I hear that he had a dodgy past.

Please advise me how the fuck I get the message across to this turd on legs that he is no longer wanted.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs Masr

—-

Dear Mrs Masr,

ولعي فيه

Fracking Earthquakes Dead Birds

Global Research has a thought provoking article on the subject of Fracking and recent earthquakes in normally seismically dormant Arkansas:

"The last four months of 2010, nearly 500 earthquakes rattled Guy, Arkansas. [1] The entire state experienced 38 quakes in 2009. [2] The spike in quake frequency precedes and coincides with the 100,000 dead fish on a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River that included Roseville Township on December 30. The next night, 5,000 red-winged blackbirds and starlings dropped dead out of the sky in Beebe. [3] Hydraulic fracturing is the most likely culprit for all three events, as it causes earthquakes with a resultant release of toxins into the environment. [4]

A close look at Arkansas’ history of earthquakes and drilling reveals a shocking surge in quake frequency following advanced drilling. The number of quakes in 2010 nearly equals all of Arkansas’ quakes for the entire 20th century. The oil and gas industry denies any correlation, but the advent of hydrofracking followed by earthquakes is a story repeated across the nation. It isn’t going to stop any time soon, either. Fracking has gone global."

RAP NEWS 6 - Wikileaks' Cablegate: the truth is out there

CHRIS HEDGES: "HOPE" SPEECH (UNEDITED)

Chris Hedges, Daniel Ellsberg, and Ray McGovern among others were arrested outside the White house on December 16th in an action which was universally ignored by American media. The descent into corporate fascism, as Gil Scott-Heron would say, will not be televised.