The Huggy Jim Chronicles

Sum Gain Summit

2005-01-23T01:55:00.000-05:00

Nick and Terrance have restimulated my interest in blogging and it has been so great meeting so many progressives this weekend I cannot wait to spread the word. Well, actually I can wait till I finish watching my current fave episode of MST3K, swirling the crema goodness of one more decaf espresso, but then I will DEFINITELY spread the gospel to even more uninitiatied converts.

Extreme Democracy
Fractal Democracy
If they hate us for our freedoms now, they will love us soon
Joy Tomme
Technorati
Art with words
Peking Dork
Progressive Party

2004-08-30T01:07:00.000-04:00

As hundreds of thousands of people marched today past Madison Square Garden,
the site of the Republican National Convention, the chant "Impeach Bush" and
"Bush Lied, Thousands Died" echoed through midtown Manhattan.

Today the people spoke. There were military veterans, soldiers, family
members of soldiers in Iraq, trade unionists, students, the elderly, womenÂs
organizations, every antiwar and peace group and others who stood united in
their opposition to the criminal policies and acts of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld
and other high officials. Some of those marching today may have believed
Bush at the start of the Iraq war but they donÂt anymore. They know now that
they have been lied to and they are angry and frustrated and they want
action taken.

Today's huge demonstration in New York City revealed the depth of opposition
both to Bush's criminal war in Iraq and its reactionary assault on civil
rights and civil liberties at home. The Mayor and the police worked to
stifle and limit dissent by restricting free speech rights and by creating a
climate of fear and intimidation. They were assuming that people would
capitulate without a struggle.

In the last few weeks in New York City, however, the opposite happened.
People got mad, they spoke out, a political and legal challenge was
undertaken. The political climate changed dramatically. Four days ago the
Daily News reported that 71% of New Yorkers agreed that the demonstrators
should have the right to have a permit in Central Park.

Now the police and government are once again trying to minimize the
demonstration by using a ridiculously low crowd estimate. ThatÂs par for the
course.

Bloomberg.com: Top Worldwide

2004-08-30T01:02:00.000-04:00

Bloomberg.com: Top Worldwide

International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism!)

2004-08-28T22:33:00.000-04:00

International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism!)

Shoot the messenger AND the piano player

2004-08-28T00:24:00.000-04:00

I almost cannot believe it. I not only go to NYC to protest in the NEXT few days, but in the LAST few days, Thatcher's son's arrest for his South African crime prevented his Texas getaway, Najaf became more peaceful and a big loss for the illegal occupiers and their puppet gov, news of Seymour Hersh's Abu Ghraib sodomy videotapes FINALLY broke. What a millenium.

Todd Gitlin's Condescending Screed

2004-08-27T23:45:00.000-04:00

Link

When I heard Todd Gitlin on Democracy Now! this morning, I wondered who he was. Naomi Klein I have accumulated admiration for many times. Wow! I could not agree with Naomi more that "Todd Gitlin has a lot to answer for". Are there others out there with this kind of thinking? The part of the global justice movement that your Huggy blogger is coming from, gentle reader, is done a huge disservice by Gitlin. I KNOW that accumulation of political power outweighs the good feelings of expression, wheresoever they may lie on a continuum from electorate political statement to "performance art". But this guy tried to whip up fear of a Bush win the same way Bush tries to whip up fear of communi, uh, I mean terrorism. Todd's phrasing of "how the world really works" is not only that of a ruling elite wiser-than-thou ideologue, but brings a good old fashioned guffaw to this humble blogger when everyone from the Bilderbergers on down can hardly wait to swap out the chimp for the next better-legitimized cloned puppets of Sharon corporatocracy. I respect whatever he did in SDS in the 60's. It is not enough to frighten me into believing that I should not go to New York to protest, but it is enough to have me laughing on the way there.

Varda vision

2004-08-25T20:08:00.000-04:00

I LOVE "Cleo From 5 to 7"! Better yet, when a friend mentioned "Happiness" I got to remember the 1998 absolutely crazy Todd Solondz one. That is head and shoulders above many other favorites one of my all-time favorite movies! Remember my favorite turn-on in a movie is quirkiness/strangeness/uniqueness/creativeness, and you'll see why I LOVE "Cleo" and go bouncing off the ceiling with joy over Solondz's "Happiness". My turn-off's include documentaries, black-and-white, and in fact any film made before 1990. I really appreciate my friend exposing me to Agnes Varda's (not to be confused with porno star Varda) monumental talent which of course in every film of hers shines through as uniqueness/creativeness, and those masterful qualities shine through even her documentary treatments so it is truly a tribute that I even like "Gleaners" some since I hate documentaries so much. No big gig, they are just antithetical to my reasons for watching film. It is also a tribute that I love "Cleo" despite its constant black and white and origin date. Viva Varda!

Balance and Harmony

2004-08-25T01:44:00.000-04:00

I am feeling simultaneously on some planes frustrated in goal-directed endeavors and on attachment-free desireless others lifted on upward-spiralling heavenbound winds of joy. The new Lars von Trier film with Nicole Kidman quotes Tom as dreaming of writing so I wrote.

Marching with Michael Berg

2004-08-25T01:42:00.000-04:00

I just heard Michael Berg on DN!. Nick Berg his son was shown on web videotape being beheaded. I had the honor of marching with Michael Berg.

First time blogger, long time writer

2004-08-25T01:37:00.000-04:00

I just created this first blog of my whole life in less than 1 minute. Blogspot rocks. Now I can finally get down all those uniquely wise inner thoughts and regurgitations of the day's political jambalaya so poised to impart so much value to so many casual blogreaders.