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Monday, June 23, 2008
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Afterlife?
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural
I wonder if I could trouble some of you to visit my LiveJournal page and take a poll I've prepared about the afterlife? (http://nhpeacenik.livejournal.com/13581.html)?
Actually, I was just reminded of another possibility that I neglected to include: eternal prolongation of human life in machine form. Really! I'm not making this up: the IEEE (respectable engineering organization) just came out with a whole issue of their magazine Spectrum about this concept, which is being called The Singularity.
Also, if this kind of thing interests you, you might want to take a look at this other entry on the subject in my LiveJournal blog.
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Currently
listening
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The Universe: 14 Examples
By
Lou & Peter Berryman
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10:18 AM
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Saturday, May 24, 2008
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Utah Phillips - 1935-2008
Current mood:  pensive
Category: News and Politics
I just got this email from Chris Chandler:
Bruce U. Utah Phillips  In a matter of a few minutes Anne Feeney phoned me from an airport in Houston. Al Grierson's "Lonely Deadhead Box-Car" was playing on Random on my iPod. After our conversation, I went to check my email. Jim Page was singing "Anna Mae." I had an email from Jim. I have pasted it below. As I read it Utah sang "All Used Up." As I responded to Jim's Email Arlo Guthrie sang "Hobo's Lullaby."
In the night of May 23, 2008, Bruce Duncan Phillips died in great peace,
asleep in his bed in Nevada City, California, with his wife Joanna by
his side.
Amazingly, at the very same instant that the scholar Bruce Phillips
finally discovered his angle of repose, U. Utah Phillips flagged a
westbound freight train. Yes, a mighty fast rattler, on a long
west-bound track. He needed no ticket, he was welcomed on board.
The immediate family and neighbors of Bruce Phillips, along with any
Wobblies who happen to be passing through, are gathering in Nevada City
to do all the things that must be done. Please give them the quiet
respect they so need right now.
But you can wave "So Long!" to Utah when that train moves west. Hey,
hear the whistle? He's passing by right now!
Utah Phillips has been a great inspiration to me, an I know he will continue to be a great inspiration from wherever he'll be singing and organizing next.
More information, including the text of one of Utah's last letters to Nevada City community radio staion KVMR, can be found at http://www.utahphillips.org/ .
You can also find out more by going to his Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Phillips . If you haven't heard his music and ramblings yet, now would be a good time to seek them out.
Here is a rush obituary from Sing Out! Magazine: http://singout.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/bruce-utah-phillips-passes/
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Currently
listening
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Starlight on the Rails: A Songbook
By
Utah Phillips
Release date: 2005-05-10
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12:47 PM
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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As to Flies and Ointment
Current mood:  amused
Category: Life
I found this little verse in a 1936 book called Bob White's Scrap Book without any named author. I've seen it one other place on the web, also without attribution, so I'll assume it's in public domain until informed otherwise. If the author happens by, I hope she/he will look kindly on efforts to keep this little gem of positivity alive:
AS TO FLIES AND OINTMENT Life's little ills annoyed me
When life's little ills were few.
And one little fly in the ointment
Put me in a terrible stew. But experience has taught me
Life's little joys to prize.
Now, I'm glad to find some ointment
In my little pot of flies.
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Currently
listening
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Rounds Galore..and More
By
Rounds Galore & More Singers
Release date: 1997-04-26
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9:58 PM
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Monday, May 19, 2008
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NH Democrats endorse Bush/Cheney Impeachment!
Current mood:  good
Category: News and Politics
I was at the Democratic State Convention as a delegate from my town on Saturday, but I couldn't stay long, as I had to get back to Peterborough by noon for the weekly peace vigil. I voted to allow delegates unlimited time (as opposed to 3 minutes per side) in debating resolutions, but the convention voted to keep the 3-minute rule. At the very end of the day, as outlined in the following press release, the impeachment resolution came up for debate and a vote. AND IT PASSED!
__________________________________
Monday, May 19, 2008
Betty Hall Beat'em All!
Manchester, NH - At the New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention, Saturday, in spite of every possible roadblock thrown in her path by party leaders to prevent it, Rep. Betty Hall's Resolution to Commence Impeachment Procedures was adopted.
The message sent by the people is the first step of this Constitutional Procedure - BEGIN INVESTIGATIONS NOW to determine if there is sufficient cause/evidence to hold our current elected leaders in Washington responsible.
The Governor came and went, Howard Dean came and went, the same for the Congressional candidates and state politicos during a long stint in a packed gymnasium on a glorious spring weekend day which began at 8:30 am. In the very last minutes of the convention, about 4:00 pm, the Democratic party leaders let the vote for the Hall Impeachment Resolution and the town of Newbury Accountability Resolution take place.
Representative Betty Hall gave 2 of her 3 allotted minutes to the only speaker who was merely a citizen delegate. She was the people's one lone grassroots speaker, who was not a leadership pick or an official.
Her name is Nan; imagine her lone, quiet voice finally getting a chance to say something after all the "notables". She spoke, and even sang her support, and the room erupted!
Betty Hall's impeachment resolution asking for the support of the Democratic Party of NH passed. The people's voice was finally heard!
Unlike the rest of the day, it was an unscripted, spontaneous expression of celebration, standing and cheering in support of Rep. Hall's resolution to begin investigations and, at the very least, lay out the facts.
The delegates heard what they wanted to hear and with their vote confirmed, they want truth and accountability from our government!
Above the heads of the speakers was a huge banner that read: HOPE LEADERSHIP VICTORY. The peoples' delegates proclaimed all three.
The People Get It.
--
Written by Maryellen Martin, Nashua, former Rep., 603 888-3396
Betty Hall, NH Rep from Brookline, 603 672-8712
18 Old Milford Rd
Brookline, NH 03033
603 672 8712
Sent by Deborah Gibbons 603 672 8712
Betty Hall signs Tom Hosmer's petition for Legislative support for the Resolution to Commence Impeachment proceeding in the US Congress.
Nan Stearns of Amherst NH sings at the state Democratic Convention on behalf of a resolution to Commence Impeachment proceedings in the US Congress.
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Currently
listening
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Bella ciao: Chansons du peuple en Italie
Release date: 1992-12-16
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11:04 AM
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Dumbledore in 1879!
Category: Writing and Poetry
This quote from Thomas Hardy's delightful novel "Under The Greenwood Tree. or The Mellstock Quire" jumped out at me the other day:
"Sinners," suggested Jimmy, who made large strides like the men, and did not lag behind like the other little boys. "Miserable dumbledores!" "Right, William, and so they be—miserable dumbledores!" said the choir with unanimity. It was not Albus Dumbledore they were referring to, of course, but who? or what? It took me a while to get around to consulting my trusty Oxford English Dictionary, where I learned that a dumbledore is a bumblebee (in Hampshire) and sometimes a cockchafer (in Cornwall). The first citation in the OED is from a 1787 dictionary, but it appears that Thomas Hardy is the last author to have used the word before J.K. Rowling, with several citations coming from his poetry and novels. It turns out that Wiktionary has an entry about little buzzing dumbledores too.
If you are intrigued about Under the Greenwood Tree, you may want to have a look at this posting in my LiveJournal blog
10:31 AM
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Thursday, May 01, 2008
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Iona’s Graduation
Category: Life
We're just about to jump in the car for the long drive to Indiana to see our daughter graduate from Earlahm College. It's been a rather hectic couple of weeks, but I hope to be writing more once we get back; maybe even have some pictures to show :)
Oh, and befor I forget:
Happy Mayday and Solidarity Forever!
4:01 AM
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
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Take Your Cat To Work Day
Category: Pets and Animals
Having spent a lot of time lately at my "home office" in the company of my incredibly supportive cat, I found the Rhymes withOrange cartoon in the latest issue of Funny Times particularly accurate.
4:01 PM
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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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Now The "War on Terror" is a War on Nature
Category: News and Politics
The Homeland Security department has ordered all environmental laws waived along 470 miles of the US/Mexico border. This waiver endangers rare and endangered animals, sensitive plants, water supplies for people and the fragile desert land itself. One of the best explanations of what’s just happened can be found in a blog by Melissa Del Bosque of the Texas Observer. One infuriating detail that Del Bosque points out is that Congress gave Homeland Security the power to waive environmental regulations as part of the ill-conceived "Real ID" act. What in the name of all the gods and goddesses does permission to rape the Earth have to do with ID cards?
Once you have the facts, you may want to send an email to (or even call) your Congressperson. The easiest way to do this is to go to the FCNL Contact Congress page; there you can find your congressperson’s contact information and even use their user-friendly web interface to compose your own letter.
6:07 PM
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Fed up with Global Warming?
Current mood:  mischievous
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
You might want to visit project virgle right now! Somehow it reminds me of the L-5 Society
4:41 PM
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Nationalize the Banks!?
Category: News and Politics
The London Telegraph is speculating that the US Federal Reserve might nationalize the big investment banks the same way Norway, Sweden and Denmark did in the 1990’s. Doing so would avoid windfall bailouts of the banks’ management or investors and solve the problems much more quickly than the kind of bailout action taken in the case of Bear-Stearns. This seems to be a sign that the powers that be in the US are finally realizing that socialism and social-democracy in Europe has been working much better than the laissez-faire capitalism of the US, and that it’s time to follow sane and prudent models that work. Next, maybe, we’ll finally get socialized medicine on the Danish or British model, albeit 60 years too late :)
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Currently
listening
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Evolver
By
The Mammals
Release date: 19 November, 2002
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7:41 AM
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