LATEST NEWS FROM NYC

Green Party Could Lift Country Out of its Current Mess
Ltr to the Editor, Tennessean.com
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080727/OPINION02/80725065/1008/OPINION01

Press Release – Kucinich Saves Cleveland Airport Post Office
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=98675

Media Marginalization of “Third” Parties – An Interview with Mickey Z
Kim Petersen, Dissident Voice
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/07/media-marginalization-of-third-parties/

Press Release – Kucinich Testifies on Abuses of Executive Power
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=98607

Press Release – Kucinich: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Needs Additional Funds
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=98601

Larry Pinkney of BlackCommentator.com gives an enthusiastic endorsement of Cynthia McKinney and a "call to arms" for her supporters, and also slams the biased media and political duopoly of the "Republicrats".
http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/node/406

Public Enemy rapper, Professor Griff, says he never votes because he did not believe that "voting could free us as a people", but that Cynthia could change his mind this year.
http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/node/408

Global warming expert and former Green Party Senatorial candidate, Ted Glick, laments the fall of third-party politics and praises Cynthia for her vision.
http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/node/410

Latest McKinney Presidential Campaign News and Links
Over the preceding couple of weeks, the front page of the runcynthiarun.org site has been reorganized to highlight recent (1) candidate statements, (2) campaign news, (3) recent endorsements and (4) a newsfeed from Cynthia's and Rosa's sites. http://votetruth08.com/ is now carrying news from the campaign, and http://mckinney2008.com/ has also been building community among online campaign supporters.

Message from AskNadler2Impeach Group – The “Not” Impeachment Hearings

You may have witnessed the House Judiciary Committee Hearings called by John Conyers to examine if the executive branch has overstepped its Constitutional mandate, otherwise known as the "not" impeachment hearings that took place for over six hours on Friday. There have been diverse reactions. Some agree with Conyers that this has been the most important hearing held by the HJC held during the 110th Congress. Others feel it was simply a way to give cover for the progressive members, delay any real action by the Democratic leadership and lead to continued inaction. Whichever impression or point of view you may hold, it is very important that those congressional representatives who participated be acknowledged, thanked, and encouraged to take the next courageous step–call for "real" impeachment hearings to begin.

Some of you have asked what to do next. That is a question that pro-impeachment groups and individuals all across the country are asking today. If you have a suggestion, please let us know. If you take steps to call or write Nadler or others on the HJC, let us know also.

The Democrats who presented statements at the hearings and should be contacted are: Dennis Kucinich, Robert Wexler, Bobby Scott, Zoe Lofgren, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Steve Cohen, Hank Johnson, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Walter Jones, Brad Miller, and Maurice Hinchey.

Jerrold Nadler did ask some serious questions of Elizabeth Holtzman and Bruce Fein, two of the expert witnesses. Some found this encouraging, some were disappointed that it came so late, and a year after he was urged to support impeachment, by us and others, on these issues in particular. Nadler finally took this opportunity to begin asking some important questions. We will know if the answers will lead him to take the leadership position we have been asking him to do.

Our emails and calls to Nadler will let him know that we are still asking. You can reach any Representative at: (202) 224-3121 Call Jerrold Nadler at: in DC at 202-225-5635 or NY 212-367-7350 ... Thank you for all you do, AskNadler2Impeach.Org

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda Z and Carol B for their contributions to this Blog.]

LATEST IN NEWS

Kucinich Again Calls for Impeachment of Bush
Keith Perine, CQ Politics
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=2&docID=news-000002926457

McKinney Speaks in NYC
Monica Moorehead, Workers World
http://www.workers.org/2008/us/mckinney_0731/

McKinney Starts New York Tour
Third Party Watch
http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/07/25/3620/

First All-Woman-of-Color Presidential Ticket in US History: Green Party Nominee Cynthia McKinney and Running Mate Rosa Clemente on War, Democracy and Hip Hop
Democracy Now!
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/21/first_all_women_of_color_presidential

The Democratic Party of Today is a Corporate/Imperial War Party – End of Story
Dennis Perrin, Green Left Infoasis
http://demleft.blogspot.com/2008/07/democratic-party-of-today-is.html

Police Look Toward the Finish Line – Their Hugely Successful Reunion Tour Winds Down
Brian McCollum, Freep.com
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080725/ENT04/807250393

With Parting Shots at Nadler, Impeach Candidate Ends Run
Gabriel Zucker, The Villager
http://www.thevillager.com/villager_273/withpartingshots.html

[Duchess Note: The grassroots team and volunteers on Adam Sullivan's campaign were great and did an amazing job! You ALL rock! One things for certain [comes across loud and clear via this campaign], and that is that Congressman Nadler is NO true progressive. He may of been in the early days of his career in Congress, but NO more. Like many other DC Democrats, they have become tainted, spoiled and ruled by lobbyists/corporations. We need more progressive thinking people in DC like an Adam Sullivan. Please, take a moment today and call your Congressperson, urge them to support impeachment of Bush and Cheney. Also, take a moment to call Congressman Kucinich and THANK him for introducing articles of impeachment. Justice must prevail and "we the people" must step forward to make our representatives know we support impeachment, as well as honoring the Constitution. Also; many thanks to Linda, Carol and Judith for the contributions to the Duchess Blog. Strength through Peace & Solidarity!]

PERSONAL NEWS #147

[Duchess Note – Sit yourselves down and give your feet a rest, because this will be a long post, with photos and concert reviews. Photos by Josee, Sarah & the Duchess. FYI...new commentary and format over at "Friends of Friday Forum". Link located in left hand column. Be peace……………]

June 22nd through 26th … I took some vacation time from work to entertain a few of my Pearl Jam friends who were visiting from Canada. Two weeks before they arrived, I’d asked my landlady to bring someone in to make repairs in bathroom, plus I made some changes around the apartment. The day before my friends were due to arrive, my cleaning lady [Dana] came by to help me spiff up the place. On June 22nd I went into Manhattan to meet with Josee at a Lexington Avenue subway station. She took a bus from LGA to the subway. It was great seeing her again. [She’s one of the original awesome MFs.] We last hooked up back in May 2006 when Pearl Jam played Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY. [That was such a terrific concert. They played RATS for the first time in concert since 1998.] We headed back to my abode via subway[s], so that she could settle in before getting a tasty lunch at a local Thai place. Their Veggie Pad Thai totally rocks. Afterwards I showed Josee around parts of my neighborhood in Brooklyn, milkshakes at an ice cream joint, plus the courtyard in back of my apartment building.



We nicknamed one of the wacko pigeons [Harvey] who occasionally hangs out in courtyard. Personally, I think there is something wrong with the bird, as its sense of direction is all messed up. Before heading back into Manhattan to pick up Sarah at Penn Station we relaxed around my abode. Poor Sarah, she’d been on that friggin Amtrak all day from Toronto, and there were delays at the Canadian/US border. [Typical of Amtrak, as this happened to me back in the summer of 2004 during my Canadian excursion. Coming and going I might add!] Sarah’s train finally arrived just before 11pm and was originally due at 9:30pm. Great to finally meet Sarah after corresponding with her since the autumn of 2000, via a Pearl Jam message board. We got back to my place in Brooklyn, via subways, by midnight and hung out chatting for two hours before crashing to bed.

In the morning we took our time getting ready, utilizing the bathroom, making coffee for Josee/Sarah while I had my Ionix Supreme by Isagenix, and planning our day’s full agenda of sightseeing. [I was up first, so I utilized the bathroom.] Weather report said it’ll be cloudy, warm and humid. Before heading into Manhattan, we stopped for a late breakfast at Bagel Delight on the avenue. They’ve been in the hood a few years and their bagels are delicious. From there we took 3 subways to the upper Westside of Manhattan for a look at the Dakota on West 72nd Street, view Strawberry Fields, stroll around a small portion of Central Park and then walked past the Museum of Natural History.



Then it was back to the #1 subway and ride all the way down to South Ferry, which is last stop in Manhattan. Strolled around the old Coast Guard building, which is now the NY Battery Maritime building/museum. Also, on weekends, one can take a ferry boat ride to Governors Island in the harbor. Then it was on to South Street Seaport for a lunch time snack, bathroom break and views of Brooklyn Bridge. While at Pier 17, Sarah purchased a replica of the Australian flag to wave during the Pearl Jam concerts on 24th and 25th. After a nice rest period of watching the activity around the pier, we walked over to and up Wall Street. Showed Josee and Sarah the Stock Exchange building and Federal Hall were George Washington had his inauguration.



[At this point I was wishing I hadn’t worn the sneakers and stuck with my sandals. My hot, sweaty feet would have to wait until we got back to my place later on. I’ve since then gotten new, better sneakers.] We then briefly checked out Trinity Church before getting on the subway to head up to midtown. Stopped by my office to pick up a parcel [ie: Isagenix]. While there I showed them around the floor I worked on, my desk area, plus hangout in two of five conference rooms and get refreshment from the pantry. Felt good to sit for abit, prop my feet up and relax.



Were we done yet with touring? Hell no! We rounded off the next hour or so with Times Square, Hard Rock Café store, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall.



I couldn’t wait to get home and fling off those darn sneakers and socks. What a relief it was … divine! Using Josee’s laptop, while lounging in the living room, we looked at and had a laugh over some of the digital pix taken that day. I know what your thinking and inquiring minds want to know. Hell no, our day wasn’t done yet. Just before 10pm we headed over to the Black Rabbit pub for some drinks, gossip, nibblers and many good laughs. We even thought up our own Pearl Jam set list.



What we’d love to hear the lads play during a concert. We finally crashed into our beds after watching Letterman on the telly. Whoa!

I was the first to wake up Tuesday AM and I promptly utilized the bathroom. Next up was Josee and finally we nudged Sarah into consciousness. Before going to Bagel Delight for a late breakfast, we went to Keyfood to get cereal for Sarah’s mother. After breakfast we took a bus to the #7 subway and then switch to an uptown #1 subway to 86th Street. Sarah was meeting a friend of hers and would be staying with her for next two nights in Manhattan. After chatting for abit we parted company and went our separate ways. We’ll see each other later on at the Pearl Jam gig that evening at MSG. Josee and I flagged down a taxi to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art over on 5th Avenue.



Weather had some clouds and not as humid as day before, plus I was wearing sandals today. Felt much better too … amen! As always there are crowds of folk at my favorite museum in NYC, plus artisans and street performers. There is never a dull moment in front of that lovely museum. Main thing we wanted to see and do was visit the roof garden on the 5th floor. The Jeff Koon’s sculpture exhibit was up there, but the main thing is the views of Manhattan and Central Park. Gorgeous! Stunning! Awesome!



[I first learned about the roof garden back in the summer of 2003.] After photographing the sculptures and views we headed back down to main level to see a few other terrific exhibits [ie: Superhero’s & Greek/Roman]. Josee and I also checked out the MMoAs vast gift shop, which I might add is very nice, but pricey. Then it was time to leave and we purchased some ice cream from a vendor. We strolled past the artisans selling their wares and then noticed the dark clouds looming from the west. We walked quickly east and made it to the subway before it started to pour. By the time we emerged in Greenwich Village the rain had passed and it was again a hot day in NYC. We walked around the Greenwich Village area for an hour or so. Stopped into McNulty’s to purchase chocolate covered espresso beans, which are oh so tasty. Found a place that does smoothies and fruit/veggie drinks for a much needed energy boost. We also checked out a record/vinyl shop that seemed to feature a lot of Bowie stuff. The Village holds many treasures [architecture is terrific] that can be found on charming side streets; such as private courtyards that look like a country oasis. I love to just stroll around and let things happen.

Strolled back to the subway to head uptown and go the pre-concert party to hook up with Demetrios. We eventually found the place and it was packed with Pearl Jam fans having a good time before the gig. The band “No Code” was playing Pearl Jam covers in a back room of the bar. Out front, near the entrance, were tables set up with loads of Pearl Jam memorabilia and that’s were we met up with Demetrios. [He’s an acquaintance of Josee and a very nice gent.] He had an extra ticket for both nights and I’d purchased them a month or so ago. He gave me my precious ticket for that evening’s gig, as well as some DVDs from Pearl Jam concerts. WooHoo! I picked up a Pearl Jam key ring that said “Ament”. I love Pearl Jam music and I adore Jeff Ament. He is one sexy man and plays a mean bass. Sigh! From there the three of us walked up to Hotel Penn to meet up with Josee’s friend[s] Sheri/Mark, and off to “Triple Crown” restaurant for a quick bite to eat. Back at MSG Josee hooked up with a few chaps who’d purchased extra tickets from her via online. Once that was out of the way, it was time to head into MSG, pick up Pearl Jam goodies for my friend Michelle, use the restroom and then find our seats. Sarah was down on the floor area facing the stage, while Demetrios and I had seats on the side of the stage looking down were Mike McCready usually stands. Josee and Mark were also in the stands like me on Mike’s side of the stage. I was quite pleased with where we were, and thrilled that I’d mostly be looking at Jeff and Mike. Double sigh! The warm up band was okay and to be honest with you, I can’t recall the name of the band. Just before Pearl Jam came on at 8:45pm I waved to Josee and Sarah. Was so happy to be there in MSG and you could feel the excitement from the fans in the packed arena. Wow, it so intensified when the band took the stage and everyone stood up. WooHoo!

MAIN SET: Hard to Imagine, Save You, Why Go, All Night, Corduroy, Faithful, Small Town, Down, Unemployable, Given to Fly, Who You Are, Whipping, Half Full, Even Flow, Present Tense, Daughter/Blitzkrieg Bop tag, Do the Evolution

ENCORE 1: Love Reign O'er Me, W.M.A., Leash, Spin the Black Circle, Wasted Reprise, Porch

ENCORE 2: No More, Crazy Mary, Comatose, I Believe in Miracles, Alive

ENCORE 3: All Along the Watchtower, Indifference

I danced about throughout most of the show on a high from the music. At times I could see Sarah waving the Australian flag around at her seat. My favorite songs during the gig were … Hard to Imagine, All Night, Corduroy, Faithful, Down, Given to Fly, Whipping, Half Full, Even Flow, Present Tense, Love Reign O’er Me, WMA, Spin the Black Circle, Porch, No More, Crazy Mary, I Believe in Miracles and Alive.



Before doing “I Believe in Miracles”, Eddie introduced CJ Ramone, who came on stage to play bass during that song. The band members are fans of the Ramones and The Who. The concert ended around 11:30pm to wild applause and cheers from the fans. Met up with Josee across the street at the Hotel Penn, where Demetrios was staying, and the two of us took subway back to my place in Brooklyn. Before going to bed, Josee and I checked out her digital photos of the day on her laptop. It’s like reliving the day all over again, only from the comfort of a cozy apartment.

Next morning we took our time getting ready before heading out. Josee packed her suitcase, as she was staying at Sheri’s place that night. It’s easier for her to grab transport to LaGuardia Airport in Queens. Went to Bagel Delight for a late breakfast and then took car service into Manhattan, as we had to drop off Josee’s suitcase at Sheri’s place near Lincoln Center. We strolled through Lincoln Center and down Broadway to Columbus Circle, which borders southwestern edge of Central Park. Many of the Pedi-cabs are lined up there to take tourists through parts of southern Central Park. [Been meaning to take a Pedi-cab ride one of these days, just to say I experienced it.] Next we went into the Time Warner Center and photographed the two large “naked” statues in the lobby, then up to the 5th floor for the views of Central Park and parts of Manhattan.




Before heading down to City Hall, we stopped by MSG to pick up our tickets for the concert that evening and met up briefly with Demetrios. Josee was pleased with her seats, though Demetrios and I were abit iffy. Back on the subway down to City Hall and we relaxed with some liquid refreshment in a shaded area of the park. Many folk were still out and about enjoying a late lunch.



Josee’s PJ friend Mark joined us shortly afterwards. It was another nice, sunny day with some clouds and not as toasty as Sunday or Monday. Next on our “touring” agenda was the trek across the famous Brooklyn Bridge towards the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. The views from the bridge are quite amazing and the breeze is refreshing. In Brooklyn Heights we sat in Cadman Plaza for awhile talking and resting under some shady trees.




Yep, you guessed it, back onto the subway and trekked up to MSG. We parted company from Mark and went to find a place for a meal before the concert. We ended up at Mustang Sally’s on 7th Avenue for a light repast. Back up to MSG to hangout for abit outside and relax our feet. We parted company and head off to our respective seats. Josee had good seats down on the floor and I was sitting on Stone’s side of the stage. Again I wasn’t impressed with the warm up band whose name I cannot recall. Demetrios showed up about 5 to 10 minutes before Pearl Jam came on at 8:45pm. He said the pre-concert party was a blast and met lots of cool people with “connections”. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with my seat for this evening’s concert. Despite that this show had far more energy then previous evening and the audience was on fire with enthusiasm. The Garden was shaking and bouncing!

MAIN SET: Release, World Wide Suicide, Severed Hand, Corduroy, All Night, Cropduster, Garden, Marker in the Sand, I'm Open, Wishlist/Vote Obama, State of Love and Trust, Evenflow, Who You Are, Rats, Given to Fly, Do the Evolution, Go

1ST ENCORE: Inside Job, WMA, Lukin, I Believe in Miracles w/ CJ Ramone, Better Man/Save It For Later, RVM

2ND ENCORE: No More, Last Kiss, Why Go, Black Diamond w/Matt and Mike on vocals and Ace Frehley on lead guitar, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter



About three songs on the set list, like the night before, had backup singers, who were fabulous. Before “Marker in the Sand”, Ed talked about the late George Carlin. Then as they went into Marker, Mike f--ked up the intro and said, "I wrote it and I f--ked it up." And then he restarted it. "Last Kiss" was played to the audience at the back of the stage. I have a confession to make, I so dislike the song “Wishlist” and I wasn’t thrilled with the tag to it either. Four songs later they made up for it with a great version of RATS. I screamed and jumped for joy. People around me thought I was nuts. Who the f—k cares what people think, it’s a fav song of mine. Other favs were Marker in the Sand, Given to Fly, WMA, All Night, Rearview Mirror, Why Go, Alive and Yellow Ledbetter. Quite a surprise to see Ace Frehley join the band during “Black Diamond”, only thing is I didn’t really recognize him. Why? Well, the only KISS member I’ve seen without stage makeup is Gene Simmons. Mike McCready is a huge KISS fan. Fellow NYDoP board member, Kevin, was also at the gig with some friends. We talked about the concert during a DoP conference call next evening. After the gig Demetrios and I met up with Josee in front of the Hotel Penn. We talked for abit and then went our separate ways. Josee joined her friend Melissa in walking about the Times Square area. Tonight I would be sleeping in my apartment all by myself.

Next morning, after breakfast, I tidy up abit around the apartment before heading into Manhattan. I headed over to Sheri’s place on Westside to meet up with Josee. Met Sheri’s adorable little Maltese doggie Shaney and we all talked about the concert. Afterwards Josee and I grabbed a taxi to Port Authority, so she could catch her transport to LGA. The bus arrived and we hugged goodbye. Made sure she got off safely and I later learned that Sarah caught her 7am Amtrak okay at Penn Station. My dear Canadian peeps were safely on their way home … I headed home myself and watched Season 3, Volume 1 of LOST on DVD. Relaxed and totally crashed … overall it was great fun and I enjoyed having my friends visit. Next time I’ll have company in my home will be during my birthday bash weekend in October.

LIVE FROM NYC – IT’S THE NEWS

Spying Uncovered: Documents Show State Police Monitored Peace & Anti-Death Penalty Groups
Nick Madigan, The Baltimore Sun
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/18/10450/

Peace Advocates Act to Stop War with Iran
UFPJ Press Release
http://www.commondreams.org/news2008/0718-04.htm

Kucinich’s Fight to Impeach Bush – Part 1
The Real News Network
http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=1888

Press Release: Kucinich Secures Victories for Disabled Retired Veterans
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=97765

Press Release: Kucinich to Investigate Police Surveillance of Peace Groups
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=97913

More Americans Want Third Major Party – Angus Reid Global Monitor/Polls & Research
http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/31291/more_americans_want_third_major_party

Cynthia McKinney Speaks on ‘Free Trade’ in Mexico
Workers World
http://www.workers.org/2008/world/mexico_0724/

We Should Hold Bush Accountable for His Actions
Kim Carlyle, Citizen-Times.com
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880721079

‘Progressives for Obama’ Fool Themselves
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=689&Itemid=1

Freedom Rider: Obama to Make World Safe for the Rich
Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=699&Itemid=34

[Duchess Note – Many thanks to Linda, Judith, Carol and Chris for their contributions of the above articles. Keep on rockin in the free world or what’s left of it.]

McKinney Goes Green
Katie Paul, Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/id/146263

[Duchess Note: Below are excerpts from the above interview. McKinney totally has my vote in November. Even more so now, as she is a firm supporter of the Dept of Peace legislation (HR808). To learn more about this wonderful legislation, go to ... http://www.thepeacealliance.org/ ]

Of course, there's the perennial third-party candidate question: What do you make of arguments that you'll pull votes away from the Democrats, thereby ushering into office a Republican who shares even fewer of your views?
That's not grounded in the facts. As the film "American Blackout" points out very well, there were numerous instruments used in the 2000 and 2004 elections to disfranchise voters. Voter caging and voter ID laws exist to disfranchise voters. The question I believe Newsweek ought to be asking is how can we ensure that people who have the right to vote also have the opportunity to vote. And after their vote is cast, how can we ensure their votes are counted. How can an environment that does not ensure election integrity ensure us that the will of the voter is reflected in the announced outcome?

So it doesn't concern you that taking even 1 percent away from a major political party could result in four more years of policies that differ even more drastically from those of the Green Party?
That's your language, not my language. I gave you my take, but you haven't accepted my take. Maybe you would feel differently if your vote wasn't counted. In an environment where people vote their values, we must have election integrity where every vote is counted. We didn't have that in 2000 and 2004 and neither the Democrats nor the Republicans did anything about it. But in 2004, the Green Party did something about it.

If you were to be elected, what would be item number one on the McKinney agenda?
Is it OK if I do several things simultaneously [laughs]? First of all, we have to instruct the Joint Chiefs of Staff to draw up an orderly withdrawal process for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. We would also begin work immediately on a budget to submit to Congress that satisfies human needs and doesn't reflect corporate greed as the current budget does. I would also remind the members of Congress swept into office with me as the New Broom Coalition that we could initiate impeachment proceedings. Also, I would make public the papers pertaining to certain tragedies in the life of our country, like the JKF assassination, Martin Luther King Jr., and the 9/11 Truth Movement. I would release everything the Bush administration knew about September 11. One more thing I would do is begin the process of putting into place a Department of Peace. It would be wonderful to rename the Department of State as the Department of Peace and have our ambassadors go around the world with a mission…to begin their engagement in the world based on human rights and peace.

FREEZE – Grand Central Station
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGyfX0TxcgU

175+ declare "No Attack on Iran!" At 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 10th, people started to gather on the corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Demonstrators each put a sign or large sticker saying, "No Attack on Iran!" on our clothing, even if they were already wearing T-shirts calling for impeachment or an end to the war in Iraq. Excitement mounted as more and more people arrived and passersby looked, stopped, asked questions and, in some cases, joined them to go inside to freeze. At 5:25, the demonstrators entered Grand Central Station. Over 175 of us walked around the main concourse. Then at exactly 5:40, as marked by the clocks in the center of the station, demonstrators froze, like statues, wherever they were. They stayed that way, completely frozen, until 5:45. People in the station stopped and stared and took pictures. Some tried to talk to the demonstrators. At exactly 5:45 they broke into a loud, echoing and long chant of "No Attack on Iran!" A significant number of the commuters clapped and joined in the chant. A left with a surge of enthusiasm that many agreed hadn't been felt at a demonstration for a long time.

This successful action, initiated by World Can't Wait, became a joint effort of many organizations. Laura Flanders sent her GRIT TV crew who interviewed several people, and will be airing the footage on her show on www.airamerica.com … Those who want to participate should email wcwfreeze@gmail.com to sign up.]

PERSONAL NEWS #146
Friday, June 27th, I had a date with this chap [Juan] I met via MySpace. The date, which took place at a bar/cafe on the eastside, was nice and enjoyable. I have to admit that some of his comments, during our conversation, were definitely abit odd. I’ve never ever had a man tell me on a first date that he is homophobic. He didn’t elaborate on it and I didn’t press for clarification. Days after our date his subsequent emails were of a nature were I felt it wasn’t advisable to continue seeing him.

Sunday, June 29th, I went to the movies and out to dinner with my friend Jackie. We went to see WALL-E at the cinema, and had dinner at a local Polish restaurant in the East Village. Here is my brief review of the film WALL-E … “It’s such a terrific film and Pixar has done it again. Wasn't really a fan of ET or Short Circuit, but I adore WALL-E. Plus the film conveys messages about mankind, consumerism, technology and humanity. Don't just go for the cute, lonely robot who'll steal your heart. Go and absorb the subtle messages. We need to save our planet; whether it's the environment, mankind or animals. Push greed aside and be peace”.

Tuesday, July 1st, was the EY Insurance Tax team sailboat outing around the NYC harbor. There were about 15 to 20 of us enjoying 4 hours on the Adirondack [schooner], which left Chelsea Piers at 11am and brought us back at 3pm. [Note: All photos by Dee and Juan.]



Even with sunscreen I still got abit sun burnt on my nose and shoulders, as did several other co-workers. Despite that we ALL had a grand time and enjoyed some tasty nibblers, dessert, plus assorted drinks, like champagne. Yum!


The excursion took us past lower Manhattan, parts of New Jersey/Brooklyn/Staten Island, Statue of Liberty, Governors Island, and even under the impressive Verrazano Bridge.


There were a variety of boats in the harbor and even the Caribbean Princess cruise ship at a pier in Red Hook [Brooklyn]. This was my second time on the Adirondack and I loved it just as much as the first time in September 2006.

After we docked, we went into Chelsea Piers to a bar for one more drink before heading back to our office.

July 4th through 7th … visited my family in upstate New York for the holiday weekend. On Saturday afternoon we were invited to a friend’s 60th birthday party and cookout. Many at this event I hadn’t seen in years and it was lovely catching up with them on news. Rode my bicycle several times during the holiday weekend, one of which was into town to do errands and purchase a metal basket for my bike. Got to watch some cable TV, relax on the screened in porch, reading, knitting, tag sales, yard work, Sunday brunch at the Legion, make S’mores by the fire pit and do some watercolor painting. Overall a nice, low key weekend.

On Thursday, July 10th, I attended the annual EY FSO all-day summer outing. Those of us who do not have a car had to take a free chartered bus from our office building around 8:30am to the Platzl Brauhaus in Pomona, NY, which isn’t far from the western side of Tappan Zee bridge. EY FSO utilized this place last year and took over pavilion seven. I noticed that this year not as many employees attended. It seemed like we had abit more fun last year, as more folk from my department attended. Several of my department co-workers brought their wives, husbands and children. My co-worker [Dee] and I played miniature golf again, and must admit we had fun with it, but were not the best players on the lot. [Smiling] Food was okay and more like campsite/carnival nibblers. I did try some of the kosher BBQ chicken and that was quite tasty.


We checked out the Platzl Brauhaus gift shop, admired an early 20th century flatbed Ford truck, create some spin art, check out the ponies and sat by the swimming pool. Just like last year, neither Dee nor I won anything during the raffle. The chartered buses left shortly after 4:30pm and it took us almost 2 hours to get back to NYC.

Next evening, July 11th, I participated with other City Harvest volunteers at the Union Square farmers market.

Tuesday, July 15th, I participated in the monthly NYDoP Board & Core Team meeting at our new location. Not many members showed up for the meeting; but despite that we still had a good, productive and enjoyable meeting. Our planned Inwood Retreat has been rescheduled to September.

[Duchess Note – Will post a separate review on Pearl Jam concerts at MSG, plus hanging out with my friends from Canada week of June 22nd. Stay tuned…………….]

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPETELY DIFFERENT – LIBERAL NEWS

McKinney & Clemente: Black, Brown, Green and True
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=698&Itemid=1

Bob Barr’s Online Dominance Slipping; McKinney, Baldwin on the Rise
Austin Cassidy, Independent Political Report
http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/07/bob-barrs-online-dominance-slipping-mckinney-baldwin-on-the-rise/

Who Owns Obama?
Pham Binh, Dissident Voice
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/07/who-owns-obama/

[Duchess Note – Many thanks to Linda and Carol for the above articles.]

LIVE FROM NYC – IT’S THE NEWS

Impeachment Article to be Introduced on Thursday, July 10th
Press Release from Congressman Kucinich
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=96652

Kucinich Impeach Bill Charges Bush ‘fabricated threats’; Pelosi Hints at Possible Hearing
Mike Sheehan & Nick Juliano, The Raw Story
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Kucinich_presents_lone_Bush_impeachment_article_0710.html

QUOTE OF THE DAY ... "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false." Frederick Douglass

Green Party, long past Nader, Looking to McKinney
Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2008/07/green_party_long_past_nader_lo.html

Cynthia McKinney Wins Green Party Presidential Nomination
Green for Green
http://www.greensforgreens.org/

New Californian, former US Rep Cynthia McKinney Wins Green Party Nomination
Realtime News Blaze
http://newsblaze.com/story/20080713065611tsop.nb/topstory.html

A Third Chair
Kate Truesdell, Michigan Daily
http://www.michigandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=72360e73-7dac-499e-b5ea-61dafc202e06

What Dennis Has Done
David Swanson, American Chronicle
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/67975

Press Release - Congressman Kucinich to Hold Press Conference to Discuss Article of Impeachment of President G.W. Bush
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=96842

Kucinich May Get Shot to Make Impeachment Case Before Recess
David DeWitt, Politicker.com
http://politicker.com/kucinich-may-get-shot-make-impeachment-case-recess

Will the Antiwar Movement Strangle the State?
Karen Kwiathowski, LewRockwell.com
http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski206.html

Advisory: Greens Formally Endorse Cindy Sheehan Over Rep Pelosi in San Francisco
RealTime News Blaze
http://newsblaze.com/story/20080625140211zzzz.nb/topstory.html

The Bush Family and the Jews – Plus How the Bush Family Made its Fortune from the Nazis
John Loftus
http://www.john-loftus.com/Thyssen.asp

Could Anyone be “Worse” Than Bush?
Alexander Cockburn, CounterPunch
http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn07062008.html

Memo to Obama: Moving to the Middle Is For Losers
Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post
http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn07062008.html

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda in Texas, plus Judith in NYC, for all the wonderful, interesting and very informative articles. Three cheers to McKinney, Sheehan and Kucinich in their continued devotion to the American people, real change and the Constitution. You are an inspiration to many of us.]

WONDERFUL NEWS! DEPT OF PEACE LEGISLATION [HR808] HAS A NEW CO-SPONSOR
Congratulations to the volunteers in Maryland's Congressional District 1! The Department of Peace and Nonviolence legislation has its first (and certainly not its last) Republican cosponsor.
Congressman Wayne Gilchrest has signed on as a cosponsor of HR 808. Congressman Gilchrest, a 9th term Republican serving Maryland's 1st District, brings our total number of co-sponsors, including the bill's author, to 70 (former cosponsor Al Wynn of Maryland resigned in June).

Please thank Congressman Gilchrest today. His contact information is below. Congressman Gilchrest has been well known as a moderate Republican for many years, often rising above politics and partisanship to support that which he believes best serves the nation and his constituents. He's also a decorated Vietnam veteran. From his web site:

"After graduating high school in 1964, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. His tour of duty saw action during the invasion of the Dominican Republic, and ultimately the Vietnam War. He earned the rank of Sergeant in Vietnam, where as a platoon leader, he was wounded in the chest. Wayne was decorated with the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Navy Commendation Medal. Today he is a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Military Order of the Purple Heart."

There's one small cloud to this silver lining that you should be aware of: Congressman Gilchrest lost his recent Republican primary bid to a candidate who spoke to the concerns of the more conservative Republicans in his district. This in no way diminishes the significance of this important news! It is a reminder, however, that we must continue to work diligently to expand bipartisan support of the legislation and the campaign. As we know and as Congressman Gilchrest clearly understands, peace is not a partisan issue.

Take Action ... Please take a moment to celebrate and then thank Congressman Gilchrest for his courage, vision and commitment to creating a strategic, sophisticated approach to reducing and preventing violence. You can reach Congressman Gilchrest's at:

Washington, DC Office
2245 Rayburn House Office Building,
District of Columbia 20515-2001
Phone: (202) 225-5311
Fax: (202) 225-0254

Press Release from NYC Democrat Candidate - Adam Sullivan
July 11, 2008 NEW YORK , NY Adam Sullivan formally set the stage for a showdown with Democratic incumbent Jerrold Nadler (CD 8) by filing in excess of the required number of petition signatures with the New York City Board of Elections, placing his candidacy on the Democratic primary ballot. Immediately following the filing, Sullivan issued a challenge to Nadler to publicly debate the issue of impeachment.

“I challenge Rep. Nadler to come before his constituents in a public forum and defend his position opposing impeachment hearings. The President and Vice President have both committed high crimes and misdemeanors for which they must answer before Congress,” said Sullivan. “For my part, I will argue that impeachment is essential to protect the Constitution.”

Nadler has served as chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties since the Democrats took over the House in 2006. Sullivan’s growing team of supporters has found a surprising number of people in Nadler’s district who are angry about his insistence that impeachment is off the table.

“In the past, Mr. Nadler has steered clear of opportunities to address his constituents who support impeachment,” Sullivan explained. “If he believes in open, democratic debate, now is the time to come before the electorate and have this discussion.”

Sullivan was referring to Nadler’s lack of appearance at a March 9th town hall meeting organized by the citizen’s group http://www.asknadler2impeach.org/. That meeting brought together Constitutional scholars Bruce Fein, Liz Holtzman, and Scott Horton, and an audience of more than 300, to discuss whether impeachment is necessary to protect the Constitution. In spite of having received his invitation weeks in advance, Nadler gave his notice just two days before the event, citing scheduling conflicts.

“I’d like to thank our dozens of committed volunteers for the many hours they have contributed to the process of gathering signatures to put us on the ballot,” Sullivan remarked. “Unlike my well-funded opponent, who hired individuals to collect signatures, our campaign is a grassroots movement by local citizens who are deeply concerned about the failure of the Democratic Congress to hold the B ush Administration accountable for its crimes. We have taken this issue to the streets to give the voters the opportunity to let their voices be heard loud and clear.”

For more information, visit the campaign’s website, http://www.sullivanforcongress.net/. To arrange interviews with Adam Sullivan, contact Jim McCabe at (917) 535-5105 or Al Ronzoni at (516) 238-3445. For video clips of the March 9 town hall, visit http://www.asknadler2impeach.org/.

JULY 4TH WEEKEND NEWS

Anti-Bush Moves Deserve Attention
DesMoinesRegister.com
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080704/OPINION04/807040353/-1/NEWS04

Ode to Impeachment: Kucinich, McClellan, & the Propaganda Model
Jeffrey Tischauser, Dissident Voice
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/07/ode-to-impeachment-kucinich-mcclellan-and-the-propaganda-model/

What if We Threw Out All the Illegal Immigrants?
Shirley Skeel, MSN Money
Overnight, some industries would become desperate for workers. The biggest beneficiaries would be low-skilled American workers. The big losers might surprise you.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/RaiseKids/WhatIfWeThrewOutAllTheIllegalImmigrants.aspx

Kucinich to Introduce New Article of Impeachment Against Bush Thursday
Jason Leopold, The Public Record
http://www.pubrecord.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=189

Pelosi Should Push Impeachment, Stop War Funding
Ted Voth Jr, Madison Capital Times
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/letters/294854

McKinney Poised to Challenge Obama for Left-Wing & Black Voters
Vivian Berryhill, OpEdNews
http://www.opednews.com/articles/McKinney-Poised-to-Challen-by-Vivian-Berryhill-080707-666.html

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda in Texas for sharing the above articles, which I might add, are all terrific. May the truth be heard throughout the land.]

E&Y INSURANCE TAX SAILING EXCURSION – NYC HARBOR

[Duchess Note: Photos taken by Dee & Juan ... many thanks!]


[View of lower Manhattan from sailboat on July 1st]




[Verrazano Bridge in background]


[Duchess relaxing with a glass of Champagne onboard the Adirondack]


[Ins Tax Team relaxing on the sailboat]



LATEST NEWS ON THE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

[Duchess Note: All this emphasis on a particular candidate does not mean I support him. In fact, quite the opposite is the case, and the truth must be told. Many thanks to Linda (TX), Judith, Carol & others in sharing these informative articles. This lady is a firm supporter of the Green Party and presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney. Green power all the way! Other news follows this on McKinney, Impeachment & Kucinich. Keep an open mind, be informed and remember "asking questions and protesting is patriotic".]

Will Obama Stop the War?
Anthony Arnove, SocialistWorker.org
http://socialistworker.org/2008/06/04/will-obama-stop-the-war

Ralph Nader on Barack Obama: “It is Quite Clear He is a Corporate Candidate from A to Z”
Democracy Now!
http://i3.democracynow.org/2008/6/18/ralph_nader_on_barack_obama_it

Kristol: Bush Might Bomb Iran if he ‘Thinks Senator Obama’s Going to Win’
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/22/kristol-bush-iran/

Cynthia McKinney Deserves Your Support, Obama Does Not
Black Agenda Report, Glen Ford
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=681&Itemid=34

The Mendacity of Hype
Geoffrey Norman, National Review
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZGIyNmUyNGMwOTk2NmRhMjczNGI0ODdlMzBkYjcwYTM

Freedom Rider: So Long Suckers
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=682&Itemid=34

Obama Insults Half a Race
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=661&Itemid=34

News Flash: Obama Tells Lies
Paul Street, BAR
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=676&Itemid=34

Obama Veers Right
Alan Maass, ZSpace Page
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/18041

LIVE FROM NYC – IT’S THE NEWS

An Appeal to the American Conscience
Timothy V. Gatto, CounterCurrents
http://www.countercurrents.org/gatto020708.htm

Impeach Bush
Public Forum Ltr – Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=9748123&siteId=297

Demands for an Independent International 9/11 Investigation
IndyBayNews
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/06/29/18512070.php

Great Interview with Gore Vidal – “The United States is Not a Republic Anymore”
Tehran Times
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=171986

Cynthia McKinney Writes about Cindy Sheehan’s 6/24 4th Amendment Burial March
IndyBayNews
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/06/25/18510951.php

LATEST NEWS ON CONGRESSMAN KUCINICH

Kucinich has the Right Idea
Green Bay Press Gazette
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/GPG0603/806270671/1271/GPG06

Kucinich Warns of Consequences of Attack on Iran Nuclear Facilities
Press Release
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=95390

“We Went to War for the Oil Companies” Kucinich Tells Congress
Press Release
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=95430

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda in Texas for the above interesting and informative articles.]

Friends from Canada Visiting the Duchess in NYC Week of June 22nd









[Pearl Jam at MSG on June 24th]





[Duchess Note – Stay tuned for more pix of NYC & Pearl Jam concerts at MSG.]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BRO!!!

“WALL-E” Pops
Karen Dahlstrom, Big Picture Big Sound
http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/WALL-E-1599.shtml

Out of this World
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Daring ‘WALL-E’ is a family film with a cautionary message that even parents can love
http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=9749

[Duchess Note: Saw this movie yesterday with a friend and I loved it. It is such a terrific film and Pixar has done it again. Wasn’t really a fan of ET or Short Circuit, but I adore WALL-E. Plus the film conveys messages about mankind, consumerism, technology, etc. Don’t just go for the cute, lonely robot who’ll steal your heart. Go and absorb the subtle messages. We need to save our planet; whether it’s the environment, mankind or animals. Push greed aside and be peace.]

The Storm Clouds Closing In On Cheney's 4th Reich]

PERSONAL NEWS #145
Tuesday, June 3rd, I attended the monthly Knit & Crochet meeting at IBM Atrium. I arrived around 7:15pm and walked around the atrium abit. Encountered Arlene and Lauren, then we got a table to hangout for about 45 minutes or so. Very nice ladies and they were knitting items, plus showed me how to do a “pearl” stitch. As to this latter bit, I had some difficulty comprehending it and really need to practice more.

On Thursday evening, June 5th, after work I headed over to Dress Barn to check out the 50% off suit sale. I tried on several fully lined fall / winter suits before getting a nice grey pinstripe for $59. Nice deal! From there I jumped on the F train and headed to Park Slope in Brooklyn for the weekly Knitters meetup. Since the weather was nice and comfortable, we were all sitting in the café’s garden dining area. I noshed on some delicious Chocolate Molten cake while I socialized with the other knitters, admire some lovely projects / yarns, plus learn and practice an easier version of the pearl stitch. Thank you Barbara! It was an enjoyable evening and we literally closed the café at 10pm.

Friday evening, June 6th, I volunteered with the City Harvest gang down at Union Square farmers market.

On Saturday morning, June 7th, I hopped onto a bus at Port Authority to visit my friend Sheila in New Jersey. From the bus stop we drove back to Sheila’s apartment for a tasty bagel brunch in her cool apartment. She’s done more decorating with her place since I was there in August 2007 and it’s quite charming, plus has a terrace. I would love an apartment with a terrace or patio. Great place to spend leisurely time or entertaining friends. [Weather report for the day was hot, humid and sunny.] Before driving over to Princeton, we stopped at a yard sale and I made several purchases. I got some great deals. We arrived into Princeton just before noon and found parking on Nassau Street near Thomas Sweets Café. Strolled onto the university grounds and headed for the art museum. Very nice museum with a little bit of everything on display and there is no admission fee, plus it was air conditioned. Before entering the museum we took some time to admire and photograph the large sculpture outside. The sculpture is by Magdalena Abakanowicz called “Big Figures”. Afterwards we strolled around the University grounds for abit before heading over to Thomas Sweets for some delicious ice cream. This place is delightful, I highly recommend it, plus the way they blend the yummy ice cream with toppings is terrific. Heavenly! Drove around Princeton to locate some shops we were interested in checking out and accidentally headed down the wrong way of a one-way street in trying to find parking. Cars and trucks coming from the other direction were not pleased with us. I made some purchases in “A Place to Bead” and Sheila did likewise in “Pins & Needles”. At this point we were both warm from the weather and tired feet from walking, so we drove back to the apartment to relax. Before heading back to NYC, we went out for a leisurely Chinese dinner at a local place. Overall it was an enjoyable, nice outing and I so like the town of Princeton. [Photos coming soon………….]

Monday evening, June 9th, I participated in City Harvest “volunteer leader” orientation at Union Square’s farmers market. It was so warm and muggy outside that day. Humidity can be fierce in NYC, especially on the subway platforms.

Tuesday evening, June 10th, I joined other members of the PDA CD14 meeting at Alice’s place on upper eastside of Manhattan. Even though I’m not part of CD14, I am very much interested in the work of this PDA group, plus I know many of the members from past Democrat campaigns. Majority of the meeting, apart from Adam Sullivan’s [Democrat candidate for CD8] visit, was on many topics [ie: town hall mtg, impeachment, DU, outreach, media, e-newsletter, local issues, listserve, and expenses]. Meeting broke up shortly after 9pm and let me tell you, mon dieu, the walk back to the subway on Lexington Avenue from York Avenue was intense. I headed to the subway with Scott along 86th Street and the weather whipped up like a friggin hurricane. Wind was fiercely blowing dirt, debris and people all over the place. I had to put on my sunglasses to protect my eyes from the dirt, as well as to see where I was going. We could see lightening to the west and feel droplets of rain. By the time I arrived home 40 minutes later the storm had passed and it was cooler outside.

On Wednesday, June 11th, I received a call from City Councilman White’s legislative aid regarding a fax sent on June 3rd about DoP Resolution 627. [How will this resolution benefit the NYC area?] They want to meet with NYDoP CCR Committee and asked if we’d give a presentation on Dept of Peace. Absolutely! Hell yeah! This was exciting news and after the call I promptly got on the phone with the other members of CCR Committee. WooHoo!

On Thursday evening, June 12th, I joined the other two members [ie: Kevin & Joe] of NYDoP CCR Committee for a conference call. The three of us gave our updated reports since last call end of May, plus we discussed at length what planning we need to accomplish for this upcoming 30-minute meeting/presentation. Stay tuned for more updates as they develop. The next day I did a follow up voicemail with White’s legislative aid.

Saturday, June 14th, I joined other members of the local Harry Potter meetup group at Riverside Park field for a rousing game of Quidditch. Yep, that’s right folks, Quidditch! This was my first match as spectator and was curious as to how the wizarding game of Quidditch could be pulled off without flying broomsticks. Both teams [ie: Central Park Centaurs & Manhattan Marauders] still had a keeper, three chasers, two beaters and one seeker. The quaffle was a soccer ball and the bludgers were two brown rubber balls about the size of a bowling ball. As an added bonus, the meetup group also had two energetic teens as golden snitches. The Quidditch pitch is set up somewhat similar to that in the books; but is played like soccer, basketball and rugby all wrapped into one. Let the games begin! Due to the weather being humid and warm the match had several “rest periods” for players to refresh themselves with water. Overall it was a fun game to watch and I believe the Marauders won when their seeker caught the golden snitch. [A group photo coming soon.] Afterwards our group of 15+ traipsed off to a café called “Toast” on Broadway for a tasty brunch and fun, interesting conversations. From there I headed home and enjoyed a viewing marathon of season one of LOST on DVD, even while it stormed outside through the night. Next weekend I’ll jump into season two of LOST.

On Thursday evening, June 19th, I headed down to Park Slope for the knitters meetup at Sweet Melissa café. This was my third meetup with the group and like before I had an enjoyable time, plus always learning some new tidbit about knitting. It was great chatting with several of the group members, as well as admiring different projects. I was advised that the Quiche du Jour is quite good, as well as affordable, so I ordered it for dinner. They were right, it was delicious. One of the ladies I was speaking with said she’d help me learn to crochet granny squares. I want to make an afghan throw for my living room and hopefully have it done by the winter. It’s good to have goals.

Friday evening, June 20th, I volunteered with the City Harvest gang down at Union Square farmers market.

THE LATEST IN PROGRESSIVE NEWS

No Discourse for Americans
Timothy V. Gatto, CounterCurrents.org
http://www.countercurrents.org/gatto160608.htm

Obama Says One Thing But Then Does Another
Douglas Turner, The Buffalo News Opinion
http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/371325.html

Kucinich Makes Waves With Articles
Diana Bailey, Rutland Herald
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080615/OPINION02/806150431/1037/OPINION02

Hardball w/Chris Matthews & Green Party Women
Third Party Watch
http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/06/16/hardball-wchris-matthews-green-party-women/

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda in Texas for sharing these terrific, informative and thought provoking articles.]

TWO COOL ARTICLES ON PEARL JAM

The LP Questionnaire - Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam
http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/vel14/2008/06/lp-questionnaire-jeff-ament-of-pearl.html

Last Band Standing
Patrick Wall, FreeTimes
http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064227409&ShowArticle_ID=11011106080628666

[Duchess Note: Pearl Jam will be rocking what's left of the free world at MSG on June 24th and June 25th. Many thanks to Sarah and Andrea in sharing the above articles. Strength through peace and music.]

ARRESTING FINALE FROM THE POLICE
Isle of Wight County Press
http://www.iwcp.co.uk/News/ARRESTING_FINALE_FROM_THE_POLICE.aspx
THE Police gave everyone a Sunday night to remember at the Isle of Wight Festival with a simply stunning set featuring all their biggest hits and some outstanding guitar solos from Andy Summers.

CITY HARVEST ROCKS!!

[Duchess is a volunteer with City Harvest and helps out at farmer markets in Manhattan. Can't miss me, the redhead standing next to the truck (3rd from left) wearing a black/blue hoodie.]

LIVE FROM NYC – LATEST IN NEWS

Dennis Kucinich Makes History Again – Impeach Bush!
Joseph A. Palermo, Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-a-palermo/dennis-kucinich-makes-his_b_106193.html

Video of Kucinich Presents 35 Articles of Impeachment against Bush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDZ8seg4Nr4

C-SPAN Transcript - http://www.c-span.org/pdf/bush_impeach.pdf

Kucinich Shows How to Block War on Iran
David Swanson, AfterDowingStreet.org
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/33989

Clear Pelosi From Impeachment’s Path
Donald Rankin, OpEdNews
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Clear-Pelosi-From-Impeachm-by-Donald-Rankin-III-080610-17.html

The Urgency of Impeachment
Braden Thacker, OpEdNews
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Urgency-of-Impeachment-by-Braden-Thacker-080609-118.html

Woolsey Supports Effort to Impeach President Bush
Common Dreams Commentary
http://www.commondreams.org/news2008/0611-12.htm

House Votes to send Impeachment Resolution to Judiciary Committee
Nick Juliano, The Raw Story
http://rawstory.com/news08/2008/06/11/house-voting-to-send-impeachment-resolution-to-judiciary-committee/

Impeachment NEEDS YOU
Chris Rice, OpEdNews
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Impeachment-NEEDS-YOU-by-chris-rice-080612-432.html

McCain & Obama Are No Different On Iraq
Patrick Krey, the John Birch Society
http://www.jbs.org/node/8133

Behind the Rise of Obama
Malik Miah, GreenLeft Online
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/754/38953

Greens Ask: Is Obama Ready to Support an Attack on Iran?
Third Party Watch
http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/06/12/greens-ask-is-obama-ready-to-support-an-attack-on-iran/

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda, Alice and Chris in sharing this wealth of info/articles on latest news. Take a moment and contact your Congressional Representative, ask them to co-sponsor the resolution brought forth on June 9th by Kucinich. We need to hold the Bush Regime accountable for the numerous crimes they’ve committed since 2001. Its time to remove Pelosi as Speaker of the House, as she has been a huge hindrance to impeachment and other issues. It’s never too late to impeach … call today.]

LATEST NEWS FLASH ON CONGRESSMAN KUCINICH

Congressman Dennis Kucinich Introduced 35 Articles of Impeachment Against President Bush on Monday Night
After Downing Street
http://chun.afterdowningstreet.org/amomentoftruth.pdf

First 5 Minutes of Kucinich Presenting Articles of Impeachment Against Bush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDZ8seg4Nr4

Kucinich Presents Bush Impeachment Articles
D.Edwards & M.Sheehan, The Raw Story
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Kucinich_presents_Bush_impeachment_articles_0609.html

Music to My Ears
Cindy Sheehan, Fog City Journal.com
http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress/2008/06/09/music-to-my-ears/

[Duchess Note - Bravo Dennis!! One of the only true progressives in Congress today. I've been a supporter of Kucinich and the issues he champions since 2003.]

What Would the World be like if We Left it to Itself?

Freedom regained …

... The overgrown ruins of a solitary confinement block in St Joseph Island, off the French Guiana. Photograph: Andres Leighton/PA

Perhaps what the environmentalist movement needs is a little less finger-wagging, and a few more appeals to the imagination. This occurred to me watching Alan Weisman mesmerize a few hundred Hay-goers by talking about his book, The World Without Us, a thought-experiment in which all humans vanish. And nature takes over. It wouldn't take her long to start some foreclosures, too. New York City's streets would collapse into the subways below after just twenty years, once the 850 pumps which keep the East and Hudson Rivers from rushing into Gotham's underground stop working.

Houses would be eaten by termites. Trees would start growing on our bridges, pushing the steel girders apart with their roots. A forest would reclaim Manhattan. Weisman is unequivocal about this. It's not a question of if, but when. There are a few things that'll take a while to digest, however. Plastic, which has drifted out to the ocean and been bashed to tiny bits by waves, is now being ingested by plankton. Scientists have no idea what this will mean.

And nuclear plants, once abandoned, would eventually go into meltdown. It's not clear how long it would take for nature to recover from the resulting simultaneous worldwide nuclear holocaust. By now, we've all seen the graphs, the predictions, paid the risingpetrol prices. Yet maybe what we need is a big reminder of the fact that our time here is not infinite. "Every organism which has overtaxed its resources has suffered a population crash," Weisman warned. "And it's not pretty."

It's an eerie exercise, this book - because it forces you to realize that nature has been tolerating us for quite some time, as we've used up more and more of the earth and its organisms. And one day it's going to bite back. In this sense, The World Without Us hasthe lurking menace of the opening moments of Twenty-Eight Days Later - it's a horror film waiting to happen.

And I couldn't help thinking, up there, on the stage with his professorial voice and bushy eyebrows, there's the guy calling to us from the audience - don't go into the next room, its dangerous!

[Duchess Note - Many thanks to Josee in sharing the above article.]

The American Electoral Charade
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=645&Itemid=1
Two candidates with almost identical positions on virtually every issue fight to exhaustion over non-substantial concerns for months, and will doubtless soon celebrate having achieved "unity." Tweedle-dum Hillary Clinton and Tweedle-dee Barack Obama may or may not emerge from the primary battles as friends - but what does that matter? "Their policies are interchangeable, as are their advisors.... All serve the same masters: the financial corporations." The general election campaign, already begun, will see Obama and McCain draw politically closer each day, until at the end "the voters' choice will be just a matter of personality and individual taste" - and race.

[Duchess Note - Amen to Glen Ford in speaking the truth and seeing it all for what it really is. How is it possible that many Americans are being tricked by the propaganda generated by the Obama and Clinton campaigns. (They both don't even come close to being true progressives. Not even by a long shot.) Both are heavily backed by corporations, big pharma, hedge funds and insurance companies who have an interest in keeping things “status quo” in our country, which many of you know they predominately control. Teddy Roosevelt must be spinning in his grave over this travesty. Also, many thanks to Linda in Texas in sharing this article.]

Actor Celebrates Derry City Link
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/7431350.stm

Fans Catch a Glimpse of Sean Bean on His Travels
Nick Ward, The Star [Yorkshire]
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Fans-catch-a-glimpse-of.4148145.jp

Minor Party Candidates Tap Discontent
W. James Antle III, Politico
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=5538AA9F-3048-5C12-001B3F0AD2DCF593

Reps Danny Davis, Kucinich Defend NASA Workforce
Press Release, SpaceRef.com
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=25595

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda in Texas for the two political articles.]

PERSONAL NEWS #144

[Duchess Note – Another edition of personal news and events in a condensed version. Enjoy!]

Tuesday evening, May 13th, I attended my second Brooklyn Community Board #1 meeting. This one wasn’t as heavily attended as the one back in April, but it was still interesting. I also did some networking with some individuals for NYDoP CCR project.

Wednesday evening, May 14th, I participated in a conference call hosted by Gili called “Field Talk”. I know Gili through the weekly “Brooklyn Peace Circle” I used to attend before it was discontinued.

Friday evening after work, May 16th, I headed down to Union Square to purchase new bird feeders at Petco. Afterwards I strolled through the farmers market to see how the City Harvest volunteers were doing and ran into Joe. Told him I had terrific news regarding a 45-minute phone call that afternoon with Congresswoman Velazquez’s legislation director [Layth]. [Topics of discussion during the call were on Iraq war funding bill, Brooklyn housing, DoP legislation and the upcoming election.] Joe and I strolled over to a diner in Gramercy Park and were joined shortly afterwards by his wife Marie. I arrived home in time to see the season finale of “Moonlight” on the telly.

Saturday evening, May 17th, found me back at Union Square farmers market doing volunteer work for City Harvest.

On Sunday afternoon, May 18th, I joined my friend Jackie in going to see the new Narnia film called “Prince Caspian”. We’ve both read the Narnia series of books [7 total] and enjoyed the film with its terrific visuals. Afterwards we walked across the street from the cinema to a Cosi for dinner and catch up on news/gossip.

Monday evening, May 19th, I attended the PDA CD14 NYC Town Hall meeting at SEIU on West 43rd Street. The featured guest speakers were; NY Congresswoman Maloney, Michael Schwartz [writer], Daniel Black [retired soldier], and Dahlia Wasfi [writer]. Main topics of discussion were Iraq war and occupation, counter-recruitment, energy crisis, US foreign policies, global warming, impeachment and a need to change strategy in the anti-war movement. Suggested website to check out is http://www.liberatethis.com/

Tuesday, May 20th, after my foot doctor appointment, I headed up to Columbus Circle to attend the 7th Annual Adult Student Recital at Frederick Rose Hall at Lincoln Center. One of NYDoPs board members, Karen M, was performing at this recital along with six other pianists. Each performer played one or two pieces by the following composers … Beethoven, Stravinsky, Pozzuoli, Schumann, Bach, Schubert, Chopin and Moszkowski. Afterwards the student pianists were given awards and a prize. After some socializing, Karen’s group went down to the next level of the Time Warner Center to party at the Stone Rose Lounge.

Thursday evening, May 22nd, I participated in a conference call with fellow NYDoP CCR committee member Kevin regarding DoP resolution 627. Discussion mostly centered on structure and composition of faxes we’ll send to some of the City Council Cultural Affairs committee members. I also told Kevin about the 45-minute conference call I had on May 16th with Layth at Congresswoman Velazquez office. Whether anything develops from that May 16th call remains to be seen.

May 24th through 27th I visited my family in upstate NY for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Weather was nice and sunny most of the time. Main highlights of the weekend was riding my new bicycle, building a fire pit, attending the Memorial Day parade, several yard sales, dining out and relaxing.

Evening of May 27th I attended the monthly NYDoP board and core team meeting at our new location near Madison Square Park in Manhattan. The two hour meeting was good and very productive. We are working towards re-launching the new and improved NYDoP website, plus the upcoming Inwood Retreat.

On Thursday, May 29th, after work I joined Cielito in attending an Isagenix meeting on 7th Avenue. These monthly meetings remind me of pep talks and also a way to introduce new people to the company/ product. I’ve been utilizing Ionix Supreme and Want More Energy since mid-April, plus I’ve been a member of Isagenix since end of March. Both are great products! With Ionix Supreme I feel more energized, sleep better at night, and more focused or alert during the day. To learn more, go to the website link in the left hand column of this blog. Three quarters of the way through meeting I had to leave and head home to watch the 2-hour season finale of LOST. What an amazing and thrilling two-hour season finale.

Friday, May 30th, I did volunteer work with City Harvest at Union Squares farmers market.

On Saturday afternoon, May 31st, I went out to lunch [Jackson Diner] with Anni and her hubby David, plus their daughter Rachel in Jackson Heights, Queens. Enjoyed some good Indian food and a drink made with mango, which I might add was so tasty. [The #7 subway makes a stop at this predominately Indian neighborhood.] Afterwards we went shopping in the many clothing stores for India style tops known as kurti or kurta. I purchased a soft white embroidered cotton kurti, plus small meditation chimes. For dessert we stopped at a street vendor for a mango flavored ice cream called kulfi, which was delicious. Overall I had an enjoyable time and caught up on news/gossip with Anni.