I Love A Good Protest (Update)

There are few things more fun than spending a sunny afternoon pissing off Republicans. And today I, along with around 30 – 40 other folks, did just that. Joe Barton had a little fundraiser on a train. As annatopia calls it, the Gravy Train. Hee hee.

See, Smokey Joe decided to get his money makers together for a train ride/buy a congressman trip across Texas. So we all got together and gave them a fine farewell. Too bad they will eventually come back. That said, it was a hoot.

Most of the protesters were of the baby-boomer generation, which I like to see because they are harder to write off then a bunch of kids. And we all had our signs, because what is a protest without signs. Mine said “Democracy For Sale”. But the best sign of all was the one brought by the man who will replace Barton as our next congressman from district six, David Harris.

Annatopia has more on the event, so I’ll just add my two cents. First off, I got there around 2 pm (because I have no life) and apparently the rethugs tried to pull a fast one by getting most of their people on the train around 1 pm, even though it wasn’t leaving until 4 pm. I spoke with a lady who had the fore-thought to show up even earlier and she told me that when she got there cops were everywhere and the bomb squad was sweeping the area. She said she got harrassed by the police, they tried to run her off, and that Joe and most of his cronies had already boarded. Luckily for the rest of the protesters who were told to be there around 3 pm some of the rethugs were running late, so we still got to heckle people. Oh, and the fuckers even pulled a second train in front of Barton’s so they wouldn’t have to see us while they were getting comfortable. But they still had to walk through us to get on the train.

Most people at the protest were cool to talk to. However, I really can’t stand the lady from Code Pink who shows up at every event around here. She is annoying and was purposely trying to get the police pissed off. Stupid, just stupid. Anyhow, what we did get to do was make some of the rethugs feel very uncomfortable. And hopefully we embarrassed Smokey Joe. All in all it was fun.

There were media folks too, so hopefully I will be able to link to some footage of the event later.

Update- annatopia has links to the news threads picking up the AP piece on the protest, but I just wanted to link to this thread from Trains Magazine because it is, well, weird:

Thought I’d try and get a date and named train set on this Texas rail adventure between Fort Worth and San Antonio which is a fund raiser for Joe Barton. Me being very naive thought a phone call would do it, well not so…

Before I continue, the fund raiser train will depart Fort Worth on the 20th of January 2006 per the Joe Barton campaign office.

My efforts described here:

Well I called Joe Barton’s Washington phone number, which is 202-225-2002, the fellow that answered the call referred me to Joe Barton’s campaign office in Texas. I called that number, which is; 972-875-8688. I explained that I was a railfan, and interested in the train ride. Was told that it will take place January 20th. I then asked about equipment, then it got busy according to the call screener, she then ask for my number so the office could call me back. They haven’t called back yet, I tried to call her back, no one answers now…

I then got her back on the phone, I then asked her who was providing the train set for the Fort Worth – San Antonio train ride, she then accused me of being too aggressive, she then stated I must be a reporter. I told her I was not, I was just a railfan. She then gave me a number of Murphy Turner Associates; 817-226-5551. I apologized for being too aggressive about three times, this to placate her, at no time was I aggressive.

I called Craig Murphy of Murphy/Turner Associates, they have yet to call me back…

So, looks like this passenger move is scheduled for Friday January 20th. Train set provided by, I don’t know because they would not tell me, so its got to be either Union Pacific or BNSF?

If by some miracle this Craig Murphy calls me back with information about the train set, I’ll pass it along to the group. Also, if someone is better connected with Joe Barton’s campaign and can tell us about the train set used for this fund raiser, I bet everyone would be appreciative. Thanks in advance…

Jim Bryant

——————————————————————————

SP
The route you mention is the ex MKT which is now UP..As far as the train itself the provider will probably be Amtrak..Unless UP wants to provide their vintage equipt.
Most political whistlestops like this one are Amtrak specials…Thanks for the heads up…Danny

——————————————————————————–

SP
It will be a spl train if if follows the UP route rather than the Amtrak Eagle route.(BNSF)Barton’s district includes Ellis Co. which is not on the Eagle route so I guess it depends on which way he chooses to go..I dont think his ditrict includes some of the counties on the Eagle route…Im not staking my life on this but I guess we’ll know more later next week…Have you cont. Amtrak P.I. officer?Danny

———————————————————————————

I read about it in a Washington Post article, the article didn’t have any details. Joe Barton’s campaign web site had no information about it either. Well, thought I get some information about the fund raiser, to post a heads-up. Wanting to see photos of this train is my only interest.

Jimmy B

Train nerds.

Meanwhile, here is the pic from the Star-Telegram:

Sharon Austy holds a sign Friday protesting Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Barton’s chartered fund-raising trip to San Antonio. Supporters paid $2,000 per person or $5,000 per political action committee to spend seven hours with him on the train.

Energy Needs Continued

I am going to keep linking to Jerome a Paris’ diaries on energy issues because they are so informative. Today’s topic is coal.

As before, the conversation continues deep into the comments. Personally, I am not a big fan of coal usage because of the strip mining used to get it.

What is it with the macho thing?

Apparently my enjoyment of figure skating is bothering to some men. It is not deemed manly enough for them. So fucking what. They seem to feel that a man should only watch football, baseball and basketball. Whatever.

I have always found it funny, if not a little sad, that so many men seem caught up in this image crisis. It reminds me of back in my pagan days when only women danced around the fire while the men drummed. I stepped out there and out danced most of the ladies, twisting and moving as if one with the beat. And I stopped many of those ladies in their tracks, putting them to shame. At first most of the men thought it wrong, until they realized the freedom of it, being able to let go of their egos and truly becoming one with the music on a new level. And it didn’t hurt that the women repayed my show with, well, use your imagination.

There is no list of things men are supposed to do or like. A real man is not bound by others thoughts or ideas of what a man should be. But sadly, most men feel they have to conform to some set rules. What a bunch of pussies. I’ve fought in many bar fights, fired some of the largest guns in the military and raced cars down country roads in the middle of the night with the headlights off. I can also say I’ve danced around a fire in a brightly colored skirt covered in glitter and looked damn sexy doing it. But you know what, who cares. None of these things define me as a man.

What I think defines a man is his ability to do all these things and more without a care what others think. Does it make me less of a man because I cry during Gilmore Girls? Letting go and enjoying the emotional release is fun. So is beating the shit out of someone in a bar parking lot. Both are a release, but one is considered more macho then the other.

What is wrong with enjoying things simply for what they are? Beauty is not exclusive to women. Why can’t a guy want to wear something he finds beautiful? What is the deal with men wanting to walk around looking like shit, sounding like idiots and acting like children?

Sorry if this rant goes on and on, but it pisses me off to no end to constantly have to check myself against others bullshit standards. Like painting my toe nails while in engineering school. Who fucking cares if I want blue toe nails today. Want to fight about it? Fine, because that is all most men can do when presented with something their small minds can’t comprehend.

What a bunch of whiny bitches. “That’s not manly” is the cry of the idiots.

How about this. We can all go hunting after the Gilmore Girls are over, drink a bunch of beer and then stand around and try to act like we know anything about cars.

Get over yourselves. Want to be a real man? Try crying. Want to prove how tough you are? Try doing what ever the fuck you want regardless of what others think. Want to prove your “manhood”? How about getting over your inhibitions and enjoying a wider spectrum of reality. But these things are beyond the ignorance of most men.

I blame most of what is wrong with the world today on the fact that men have been in charge for so long. Look at war; its all about the ego. Its all about proving who has the biggest dick. Even the weapons look like dicks. Bullets, missles, swords; penetration. Sticking your dick into something else to prove you are more of a man. What a bunch of babies.

Ghandi was more of a man then any football player could ever be. He faced the most powerful military in the world and won by not fighting, but instead by using his mind. And he did it all in a dress! Most men are so consumed by the image they think they need to conform to. All I can say is what the fuck ever.

Get over it guys, because you ain’t fooling me. You know you want to do lots of things that you don’t because other guys might think you are a sissy. But what you fail to realize is that in that action you are showing your true weakness, your true lack of manhood.

More On Energy Needs

Well holy shit:

Energy guzzlers China and India are often blamed for some of the world’s environmental problems, but a new study says the two most populous nations may well set the stage for a clean and green Earth.

The two countries are mastering energy-efficient technologies, implementing cheap and environmentally responsible transportation systems, and adopting new water harvesting techniques as models for a sustainable economy, says the annual report of the Worldwatch Institute.

“China and India are positioned to leapfrog today’s industrial powers and become world leaders in sustainable energy and agriculture within a decade,” said Christopher Flavin, the president of the US-based environmental research group, in Washington.

China’s solar industry already provides water heating for 35 million buildings, and India’s pioneering use of rainwater harvesting brings clean water to tens of thousands of homes, according to the 244-page report.

I find this wonderful news after the conversations that went on in Jerome a Paris’ thread mentioned down the page. Too bad its not the good old US of A thats leading the way here. No, we get this instead:

While China and India have often been blamed for driving up the price of oil and other commodities, Flavin said one of the most striking conclusions of his group’s analysis was “how dominant the United States still is when it comes to resources and pollution.”

With oil, for example, the United States imports nearly four times as much as China, despite having only one fourth as many people.

“Americans wondering why the price of oil is so high need only to look in the mirror,” Flavin said.

So keep on driving those SUVs covered with yellow ribbons and flags fuck holes. God, this article pisses me off and makes me happy at the same time.

Holy Shit

I really need to read my own blog more. I have ads! When the hell did that happen? Someone is sneaky around here. Great, now this blog is a commercial. Shit.

Oh well. In the mean time, annatopia is under siege by the airforce, the US House of Representatives and the Texas government. Seems folks are trying to play the Harris trashing game over there. Fuckers.

Of course, as all you know, I have never met annatopia. Nope. No idea who she is. So if you feel the need to send in black ops, I am not part of any of this. Just a solo blogger. That’s me. No one important at all.

Just kidding. Go fuck yourselves. This is still a free country, and only shitheads claiming to support “Family Values” try to wreck families. Come to think of it, does anyone know when Joe Barton got a divorce from his first wife? From the Republican info sites I scanned through (eyes still bleeding a little by the way) he was still married to Janet Sue Winslow as soon as 2000. But I cannot find his divorce recorded in any of the Texas sites. And don’t think I didn’t try. Christ in hell, that was a waste of a day. I can find the filing number for any divorce in this state but his. WTF? (and yes, it is all legal, public access information)

For a group that treasures family, why not ask Joe why he got a divorce. There are rumors, but I won’t go that low, yet. As for the Harris stalker, someone is off their meds.

This is why I hate politics. When someone actually wants to do something good for the country, the greedy, self-centered belly crawlers come out of the woodwork to stop them.

One more thing. If you don’t see any activity on either site for a while, assume we are in some CIA jail in Happy-Fuck-Fuck Land being “re-educated.”

Energy Needs (Updated)

Found a good diary over at DKos by Jerome a Paris about nuclear energy. Good info and some good comments (for once).

I have been reading more about nuclear energy and energy production in general lately. Seems to be the issue of the day in the engineering magazines I read. I think that with our increasing energy needs we have to consider all possible sources.

I just want to add two things to Jerome’s diary. First, I am still convinced that disposing of nuclear waste off-planet is best. Now, I know current technology makes this unlikely, but I feel that if we put more effort into space flight it would work quite well. Its time we used the furnace in the sky to clean our planet. And I have spoken with a physicist who said the sun wouldn’t even notice. If we shifted some of the money we waste on war to civilian space flight development, I think this idea would be realized in our lifetimes.

Second, I read an article (not online, sorry) about GE doing windmill tests in North Dakota. They found that up to 20% of our power usage could come from wind there. Of course this means improving the grid, running more lines and actually building the windmills, but it could work.

What I like most about this idea is that it pulls us a away from middle east oil, creates less pollution and creates jobs in an area that has lost most of its work. In many of the areas considered the economy is shit. One of the biggest problems with windmills in other places is that people bitch about having to see them. Fine. Let’s put them where no one is at, improve the local economies and create jobs for our citizens while keeping our money here.

I still think conservation would go a long way to fixing energy needs, but it is not enough. We need to also shift from fossil fuels as much as possible.

Update- Well, Jerome’s diary generated some amazing comments. It was actually a pretty good discussion. I learned more about renewables, and about an element named thorium.

It seams thorium can be used in place of uranium in nuclear reactors. Thorium is four times more abundant then uranium and produces less radioactive waste. So why isn’t it used today? Because it doesn’t produce enough of the plutonium needed to make nuclear weapons. If you think about the cold war, you can see why our government pushed uranium over thorium. Need more nukes dammit!

That aside, I also learned that we don’t recycle our nuclear waste. Seems France uses breeder reactors to get the most out of their uranium. We on the other hand just let it site at our reactor sites. The US not recycle? Go figure.

My “Waste to Space” (I claim the name!) idea got mixed results. Some thought I am crazy, while others agreed that we have no idea what future technologies may develop, and that the idea is a good last resort if nothing better comes along.

I think in the end most people agreed that there has to be a multi-energy source solution. With China and India using more energy everyday, the human race needs to get busy on this subject. And if the US wants to be a player, we need to develop green energy technology now and then sell it (at affordable prices) to developing nations. This serves two purposes: It gives citizens here jobs and it helps developing nations skip the nasty coal and oil stages in their own industrialization. And we still have to remember that eventually Africa and South America are going to get there too, so what better way to go then get them green from the start.

Ok, dammit, another post tonite.

I really love this woman too.

Saturday Nite Posting

Quick post tonite. If you haven’t heard of dj cheb, well, why the hell not? I highly recommend you go to his site now and listen to some of the best music my ears have ever heard. I have been a fan for a couple of years. His music is divine. It’s a mix of Indian, North African, Muslim chants and club that touches your soul and transports you across space and time. Or maybe that’s the drugs. Still, its some great music.

Politics, and how to be a Dork

Had a great time at the DFA meeting last nite (see annatopia for more info). I am trying to figure out how to become more active. Though I do tend to despise politics and politicians, after meeting the candidates I feel it would be worth it to try and help. They were all strong speakers and seemed genuine in their commitments to fix this mess of a country any way they can.

I wanted to introduce myself and offer support, but I always find myself with nothing to say when I am standing in front of them. Which is weird, considering normally I can never shut my mouth. And wouldn’t you know it, I had to be the dork of the nite by bumping into the goddamn fire alarm on the door as I tried to be friendly. The alarm went off and I quickly made my exit with my tail between my legs. I am such a fucking dork sometimes.

Still, it was a good experience. I liked meeting local folks who will have a more direct impact on my life. Here are the notes I took in the meeting. I think everything is correct, but if not, someone please let me know in the comments.

Terri Moore, who is running for Tarrant County District Attorney was great. She is a fiery Cleburne country girl with a sharp mind and great wit. She is a former prosecuter from the Tarrant County DA’s office who started the gang prosecution unit when she realized no one in the office had a clue how to handle (or understand) the gang problems in the community. She also tried the largest child porn case in US history while working as a federal prosecuter. Her best quote was something along the lines of “The Tarrant County DA’s office is no longer a Republican love fest; They fear a mouthy Democratic woman!” Indeed. DJ, who helps run Taking Back Texas told me that that was the tamed version of her we saw. Considering that Terri said the current Republican DA, who is a 30 year incumbent, hasn’t seen the inside of a court room in all that time, she would definetly be a better DA. Go Terri!

Valerie Bason-Young, who is running for Justice of the Peace in Precinct 7 (not mine dammit), was amazing as well. She is very concerned about the truancy problems in the area. She has worked as a city attorney in Fort Worth and in the Tarrant County DA’s office too. She wrote the truancy manual used today and said that currently there is no follow thru in keeping up with kids’ attendance. Valerie said that right now the program is being used as a money maker at the expense of the community. She understands that keeping kids in school is essential to them getting a good education, which is also good for the community and country as a whole. Her best quote was something like “The Republicans say they have a mandate from God, but obviously they are not listening.” Wow. She came across as concerned and dedicated to fixing the system. I hope she wins!

Paula Hightower Pierson, running for Texas House District 93, almost made me cry. She was explaining the reasons she is running for office and told a very touching story. She does, or did, Meals on Wheels. At one time there was two elderly women along her route that were so poor they couldn’t afford to run their air conditioners or fans in the hot Texas summers. One day she showed up for her route and noticed the two women were no longer listed. When she asked why, she was told the women had died from the heat. Paula is dedicated to making sure that our state government takes care of its citizens and doesn’t let these kinds of tragedies happen anymore. She is heavily focused on education issues, inparticularly in the CHIP program getting funding. Paula seemed determined and has that sourthern woman charm (think Ann W. Richards) that makes you want to give her a hug. And to have raised a son like Chris, who is so politically active, well, she just rocks.

David Harris, one of our Fighting Dems who is running for congress in District 6 (my district, hooray!) was in top form. He explained his strong defense, strong family platform quite well. David said that strong defense means diplomacy first and that education and equal rights are essential to keeping our country safe and families secure. He is an Iraq vet who knows how to fight with his words and is not afraid of Barton. Considering that Morris Meyers got around 40% of the vote last time, Dave has a real good chance of taking the district. Check out his site at Follow Me to DC and District Sixer for more on this great candidate.

Anyhow, that is what I remember. Hope I got it all right. I am looking forward to hearing more from these folks.

Cross-posted at annatopia.

Thoughts On Military Service

I have wrestled with how to view my service since the first day of boot camp. I have to admit, I didn’t join out of some sense of patriotism. I didn’t join because I felt I should give something back to my country or because I come from a long line of people who have served. I joined because I was desperate, because I needed an out from a life I was sure was going down the toilet quickly.

But in the end I’m glad I did. I learned a great deal about life in the military, though I didn’t realize any of that while I was in. And most of the guys I served with were in the same boat. Young men from the ghettos, country boys wanting to get off the farm; these are the people I met. Sure, there were some hard-core folks, but not many. They usually go infantry, where the glory is.

No, I joined like so many others because I had nothing else. No college, no experience to get a good paying job. Just young men who needed something to kick start their lives, or at least pay some bills. It was not glamorous, and it wasn’t fun. It was a job, three square meals and a roof over my head.

It wasn’t until years later that I started to really understand the transformation that occurred in my life during my service. Like when I found I was able to keep a job when most of my friends back home couldn’t. Or how I had the dedication needed to get through a very tough education.

And I can honestly say that a big part of that is because I never saw combat. I knew of the ugly side of the military; many of the guys I was in with had seen combat in Desert Storm. But I think that because I didn’t have to actually experience that I was able to get out with relatively few scares.

I do miss parts of the military. Like the brotherhood, the respect I got from some folks back home, and the chance to see the other side of the world. But I do not regret for one second never having to kill anyone. Because that is one thing I never want to do. Sure, I would if I had to, but I will never see it as glamorous or honorable even if it is necessitated.

But there is the side of me that sees war as the biggest waste of resources ever concocted by humans. And the money we waste on the military would go a long way towards fixing much that is wrong with this country. Not to mention that I am finding it harder and harder every day to buy into nationalism, patriotism and the rest of our control mechanisms; no, in the end as much as the military changed me it also opened my eyes to the bullshit spewed out of our history books about the glory of war.

There is nothing glamorous about killing people. There is nothing profound about reducing cities to rubble. Too much of our past has been erased forever by war; too many ancient ruins destroyed, too many cultures deleted from existence because some got power hungry and convinced the masses it would be a good idea to go slaughter each other.

I feel conflicted because on the one hand I would have died with my brothers in arms if needed, but find the whole exercise disturbing. I can look back now and see how we were fed war from the beginning. “Blood makes the grass grow drill sergeant, bright red blood.” And I can see how so many of those now serving were swept up in the aftermath of 9/11. But I can also see how they and the terrorists they went off to fight were all led like sheep to the slaughter. How a few powerful people, using the right words, twisting the truth, turned people into blood thirsty savages, convincing folks on both sides to kill each other for some “glorious” cause like patriotism or religion.

And in the end I find myself defending my brothers and sisters in the military while decrying the horrors of war. I never liked the hero wannabe’s when I was in. Even then they freaked me out with their talk of killing the enemy as if it was porn for their souls. I did what I had to, and got out. Looking back I see the ugly moments in myself, when violence seemed so sweet.

There are still a lot of folks there who joined like me. But there is also a lot who joined because they were rallied around the flag, told their freedom was at stake and that it was their patriotic duty to defend this country. What is sad about it is that it has all been for the few at the expense of the many. But then most wars are. And sometimes I think they are fools, but most of the time I just want them to come home safely, to stop participating in this dark stain on humanity that is war, and wake up and see they are being used.

And this goes for both sides. Whether its patriotism or fundamentalism, its still bullshit. We are all brothers and sisters on this planet, we are all alone in an infinite universe, and we are all in this together. Fighting for made up causes, killing each other so some can get richer, gain more power, is wasteful and foolish.

We act like spoiled children, claiming this land is mine, my god is better than yours. What good comes from all this in the end? Just another story in the history books, another tale of lives lost, dreams shattered, power and money transferred. And down the road it’s all forgotten when the next war comes about, a new cause, a new day. Only each time the stakes grow, the weapons worse, the damage greater.

And as long as we are fed the glories of war, as long as the young keep being told by the old how necessary and honorable it is, we will continue to piss away our limited resources and our lives for fleeting victories. Because we never learn until it is too late.

So, yes I am conflicted. I have a flag outside and an Army sticker on my car. I also have a peace sign hanging from the rear view mirror and an aching in my heart. I guess I defend my brothers and sisters because I was there once, because I know how it feels to be a soldier. The best I can do for them and for humanity in general is keep trying to get people to see the errors of their ways, to understand that we allow ourselves to be pawns in a game that never ends in real victory but instead breeds more of the same.