Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Fuck Florida. If there's one thing worse than a million drunk, pissed-off crackers with guns, it's a million drunk, pissed-off crackers with guns and the blessing of the state to fire at will. And this from one of the tiny handful of Southern states still considered "in play". As the uncle of hunters who give my wife and me a deer every Christmas, I don't go knee-jerk for every gun control law that comes down the pike, but this is so flagrant and radical a case of whoring to the NRA, it simply defies all reason and logic. Two of my oldest friends live in the Orlando area, and the Keys are one of my favorite places in the world, so I'm not being the least bit cavalier when I say "fuck Florida". Because Florida just told me "Fuck you".    From www.shootfirstlaw.org: AN IMPORTANT NOTICE TO FLORIDA VISITORS FLORIDA'S SHOOT FIRST LAW TOOK EFFECT OCTOBER 1 The "Shoot First" law is a new law in Florida that police, prosecuting attorneys and gun violence prevention advocates worry may lead to the reckless use of guns on the streets of Florida cities. Before the law was passed, Floridians could carry concealed guns in public places, but they could only use those guns as a last resort when safe avoidance of injury was otherwise not possible. The new law eliminates the duty to avoid the threat and, instead, allows the gun user to "shoot first" to eliminate the threat. It is not difficult to imagine likely situations in which individuals may use lethal force where they did not before. An argument on the highway, or a disagreement in a restaurant or nightclub, or a dispute over belongings in a public place such as a beach could lead to unnecessary use of force. The Florida "Shoot First" law was passed over the strong objections of law enforcement officials and prosecutors. Here is what some published news reports have said: The Atlanta Journal Constitution wrote "Florida has ignored common sense and public safety by adopting a law that encourages violent confrontations between its residents." Time Magazine columnist Michelle Cottle wrote "I'm perturbed by the Florida legislature's decision to pass a bill, signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush last week, allowing virtually anyone who feels threatened at any time and in any place to whip out a gun and open fire." Detroit Free Press columnist Nicole Christian wrote "You have to wonder whether the Florida Legislature has lost its mind... What a nightmare Florida could have on its hands after empowering victims of road rage, robbery or domestic disputes to make instant life-and-death decisions." PLEASE TAKE SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS Do not argue unnecessarily with local people. If you are involved in a traffic accident or near-miss, remain in your car and keep your hands in plain sight. If someone appears to be angry with you, maintain to the best of your ability a positive attitude, and do not shout or make threatening gestures. We want your visit to be safe and positive. Please remember that each of us has a great deal of ability to prevent angry confrontations. 2:47:12 PM    comment []

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The Durability of Genius Whether he really was the "Voice of a Generation" (he wasn't), or merely one of the greatest songwriters who ever lived (he is), Dylan's music-- like that of all great artists from Bach to Mozart to Duke Ellington to Frank Sinatra to Billie Holiday to Ray Charles to Hank Williams to John Coltrane to Elvis Presley to the Beatles--will live on forever, discovered by generation after generation, as long as there are open hearts and probing minds to do so.             From New Musical Express (Great Britain): Bob Dylan record sales go through the roof The star enjoys an indian summer Bob Dylan is enjoying a tenfold increase in album sales following the recent flurry of media attention. And experts at retailer HMV reckon it is the biggest hike in the folk hero's five-decade career. The renewed interest in Dylan is in part due to Martin Scorsese's two-part documentary, 'No Direction Home', which was screened in the UK on BBC2 this week. HMV Head Of Music Phil Penman said: "These are the largest increases we've seen with Dylan's catalogue for many years. As with other music icons, such as Elvis, The Beatles and Sinatra, Dylan has a significant fanbase and his recordings will always sell. "In September, however, there has been an enormous renewed increase in his work, with HMV stores throughout the country reporting substantial increases in sales of his catalogue." Virtually all of Dylan's catalogue has seen an upturn in sales, the most dramatic being last year's compilation 'The Essential Bob Dylan.' From Soulshine (Canada):

Bob Dylan Sales Soar Published: 2005-10-04

Just weeks after HMV decided to stop stocking Bob Dylan worldwide sales for the folk legend have skyrocketed.   In September Soul Shine reported that HMV in Canada would stop stocking their shelves with anything Bob Dylan in protest to the fact that his newest CD would be offered only in Starbucks stores. Around the same time Martin Scorsese released his two part documentary No Direction Home based on the legendary singer/songwriter. Due to the fact that Dylan is a musical icon his CDs always sell fairly well but since the documentary was released there has been a significant increase in interest. The Essential Bob Dylan a collection of his greatest hits released last year has doubled in sales. The documentary, which was screened at the Toronto Film Festival, is currently available in stores. Writer: Michelle Garcia

Dear Black and Hispanic Republicans: Thanks For Your Vote. Now Go Away. And Remember, Marriage Is Between A Man And A Woman! See You In '08.   Minority Firms Getting Few Katrina Pacts By HOPE YEN Associated Press Writer October 04,2005 | WASHINGTON -- Minority-owned businesses say they're paying the price for the decision by Congress and the Bush administration to waive certain rules for Hurricane Katrina recovery contracts. About 1.5 percent of the $1.6 billion awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency has gone to minority businesses, less than a third of the 5 percent normally required. On Tuesday, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine, and Rep. Donald A. Manzullo, R-Ill., asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether small and minority-owned businesses have been given a fair opportunity to compete for Katrina contracts. Andrew Jenkins doesn't think so. Once Katrina's destructive waters receded, he began making calls in hopes of a winning a government contract for his Mississippi construction company. Jenkins, who is black, says he watched in frustration as the contracts went to others, many of them larger, white-owned companies with political ties to Washington. "That just doesn't smell right," said Jenkins, president of AJA Management and Technical Services Inc. of Jackson, Miss., noting the region has a higher percentage of blacks and minority-owned businesses that other areas of the country. To speed aid, many requirements normally attached to government contracting were waived by Congress and the administration. The result has been far more no-bid contracts going to businesses that have an existing relationship with the government. There also was an easing of affirmative action rules for contractors and a suspension of a "prevailing wage" law that black lawmakers and business people believe will hurt the disproportionately large number of black hourly workers in the region. "It sends a bad message," said Harry Alford, president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. "What they're basically saying to the minority in New Orleans is, 'We'll make it harder for you to find a job. And if you do, we'll make sure you get paid less.'" The Department of Homeland Security, whose FEMA division handles most of the contracts, said it is committed to hiring smaller, disadvantaged firms. But many of the no-bid awards were given out to known players who could quickly provide help in an emergency situation, spokesman Larry Orluskie said. "It was about saving lives, protecting property, and going to who you go to, to get what you need," he said. The Labor Department also has said its decision to temporarily suspend affirmative action rules for first-time government contractors doing Katrina work was motivated by a need to reduce paperwork to speed emergency aid. The Army Corps of Engineers has a better record on minority contracts, with roughly 16 percent of the $637 million in Katrina contracts going to minority-owned companies, according to agency records. Businesses with more than 50 employees typically must have a written affirmative action plan if they are awarded contracts of more than $50,000. But the Bush administration removed that requirement for three months, saying basic anti-discrimination laws would provide adequate protection. At a recent meeting in Mississippi for minority businesspeople with federal contracting officials, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said many of the 100 owners walked out in anger when told their best chance of getting work was to seek smaller subcontracts from the larger companies. The larger companies include Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton Co., which Vice President Dick Cheney headed from 1995 to 2000; and AshBritt Inc., a Florida company with ties to Mississippi's governor, Haley Barbour, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee. "The president has talked about small businesses being the engine of our economy, but when the time for sound bites is over his administration still uses the same backroom deals to take care of their friends," said Thompson, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. The situation has exacerbated racial sensitivities that already were heightened by the slow initial federal response to the New Orleans flood. Many poor black residents didn't get help for days. President Bush has met privately with NAACP President Bruce Gordon to discuss the racial component of the disaster. And Alford said he will get a meeting with Bush sometime soon to talk about improving opportunities for minority contractors. With billions of dollars of new contracts still yet to be awarded, minority leaders say they remain hopeful the Bush administration will begin to provide the same types of opportunities given to large-scale contractors. In the meantime, Willie Nelson of 33-year-old Nelson Plumbing Inc., continues to wait. He says white-owned firms scurry with work in Mississippi, while his Jackson business sits idle. "The majority firms are all over the place," Nelson said. "We just want an equal opportunity. But it's been very difficult. They seem to be more interested in taking care of their own while we try to just get a foot in the door." Salon provides breaking news articles from the Associated Press as a service to its readers, but does not edit the AP articles it publishes. © 2005 The Associated Press. Hispanics Upset Bush Passed on Candidate By JESSE J. HOLLAND Associated Press Writer October 03,2005 | WASHINGTON -- President Bush's decision to make White House counsel Harriet Miers his second Supreme Court nominee upset Hispanic groups that had hoped to see the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. "President Bush has again ignored highly qualified Latino judges, attorneys and law professors who could serve the nation ably on the United States Supreme Court," said Ann Marie Tallman, executive director of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, after Miers' nomination was announced Monday. Several Hispanic lawyers and judges were thought to be on the president's short list, including Attorney General Alberto Gonzales -- the first Latino attorney general and a close friend of the president -- and federal appellate judge Consuelo Callahan. Also mentioned during the search were Hispanic lawyer Miguel Estrada and Judge Emilio Garza of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Garza was President George H.W. Bush's second choice for the Supreme Court after Clarence Thomas. Hispanics are a highly prized voter base, and Republicans have made increased effort to court their support. Bush won more than 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in his 2004 re-election, compared with 35 percent four years earlier. "The failure of this administration to nominate a Hispanic judge to the Supreme Court is a slap in the face to all those highly qualified Hispanic judges that dutifully serve on our federal courts across the nation," said Raul Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza. "Our community continues to contribute to the greatness of this nation and yet, we are ignored for a vital role on our third branch of governance." The Supreme Court has had only two black justices: the late Thurgood Marshall and Justice Clarence Thomas, and two female justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor. Miers is nominated to replace O'Connor. Salon provides breaking news articles from the Associated Press as a service to its readers, but does not edit the AP articles it publishes. © 2005 The Associated Press 8:07:07 AM    comment []

Dear Michael Zungolo: Last week, an official government investigation determined that the Bush Administration broke the law when it used taxpayer dollars to hire fake journalists like Armstrong Williams to promote its political agenda. It’s not only unethical, it’s also illegal. The only way for justice to be served is for you and 50,000 others to add your name to a letter I am sending to Congress and the Justice Department demanding prosecution. A copy of your letter will be sent to all the leaders of the Judiciary and Appropriations Committees. Please put your name next to mine in demanding a full prosecution. This White House has a knack for evading prosecution. Our strength is in our numbers -- I need you to stand by me and make the charges stick against an administration that has set aside more than a quarter billion dollars to push covert propaganda on the public. No other administration has spent so much to deceive so many. In a report released on Sept. 30, the Government Accountability Office found that the Department of Education illegally used taxpayer dollars to fund a covert propaganda campaign, funneling money to Williams to tout Bush's education policies in advance of the 2004 elections. The investigation also dug up other instances of abuse, including a previously undisclosed case in which the Bush administration commissioned a newspaper article that praised the White House's role in promoting science education. But these abuses may just be the tip of the iceberg. We need the White House to provide a full accounting of the more than $250 million in taxpayer funds spent to promote its political agenda. Tell Congress and Justice to prosecute these crimes to the full extent of the law. The administration's silence on propaganda speaks volumes. Without popular dissent, an emboldened White House will continue to throw up obstacles to full disclosure. It is now up to the public to pressure our government to enforce the law and stop propaganda crimes. Take action today -- and don't forget to tell your friends. Onward, Robert McChesney President Free Press www.freepress.net P.S. Learn more about stopping news fraud at www.freepress.net/propaganda. You (mzungolo@verizon.net) are receiving this message as a subscriber of the Free Press E-Activist list. To discontinue receiving messages, please visit www.freepress.net/action/unsub.php. 7:54:28 AM    comment []