I just got the news that Utah Phillips, one of the strongest and most consistent voices in America for the rights and dignity of working class people and for a free world based on human values, has passed away in his sleep at the age of 73. (http://www.kvmr.org/utah_letter.html - Utah Phillips has Left the Stage)

What follows are just a few of my thoughts, as one performer to another, speaking about a man who influenced me and my music tremendously over the years. I would not presume to present this as anything other then that, just a few words of gratitude and sorrow, nothing more. Utah’s family has posted an official obituary on his website - http://utahphillips.com/. Ya’ll should go check it out. Also, The family requests memorial donations to Hospitality House, P.O. Box 3223, Grass Valley, California 95945 (530) 271-7144 www.hospitalityhouseshelter.org

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Posted: May 24th, 2008 under economics, gods & religion, music, personal, race & racism, video.
Comments: none

Just saw this online, thought it was pretty cool. Apparently a bunch of rich libertarians have started a company whose goal is to allow people to set up their own floating ocean colonies in international waters and start their own mini countries. there’s an article about it in Wired magazine here. My favorite quote is from Milton Friedman’s grandson (one of the investors). Check it out:

“Government is an industry with a really high barrier to entry,” he said. “You basically need to win an election or a revolution to try a new one. That’s a ridiculous barrier to entry. And it’s got enormous customer lock-in. People complain about their cellphone plans that are like two years, but think of the effort that it takes to change your citizenship.”

They’ve even got a full-on booklet detailing all the technical stuff, complete with diagrams.

Tell ya what, if they pull this off I’m officially calling dibs on a spot in the floating republic of Anarchia.

Posted: May 22nd, 2008 under culture war.
Comments: 1

I’m a news junkie, being chronically unemployed / under-employed means I’ve got plenty of time to spend keeping up to date with what’s going on in world news and politics. Every so often though I run accross something that makes me stop and say “damn.” this is one of those times. peep this quote from Donald Rumsfield in september of 2001 on the real reasons for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:

“We have a choice — either to change the way we live, which is unacceptable, or to change the way that they live; and we chose the latter.” In this context, “they” represent the billion or so Muslims inhabiting the greater Middle East.

quoted from The Long War Fallacy, LA Times May 13 2008.

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Posted: May 13th, 2008 under politrix.
Comments: 6

This one is a guest column by Adisa Banjanko, a friend who I met through the Hip Hop Congress some years back. He’s the driving force behind the Hip Hop Chess Federation and author of Lyrical Swords.

Passing The Torch of Police Brutality: Sean Bell & The Solution
By: Adisa Banjoko, The Bishop of Hip-Hop

Though we live dangerous, cops could just/ Arrest me, blaming us, we’re held like hostages- Nas, NY State of Mind

I got my first car when I was 18. “Now when you get pulled over, it’s a serious thing,” my dad said to me before he handed me the keys to a brown Toyota Celica. “You keep your hands on the wheel if you get stopped. Move slowly. If you are going to reach for anything like a wallet you tell him what you are going to do and do it slow. If you move too fast they will kill you.” Read more »

Posted: May 8th, 2008 under culture war, race & racism.
Comments: 1

Live video of Beltaine’s Fire performing ‘Desert Sunrise’ at the Beale St. Bar & Grill in SF.  Big ups to Cory for shooting the video for us.

Posted: May 7th, 2008 under Beltaine's Fire, hip hop, politrix, video.
Comments: 1