On Sunday, March 22, Oklahoma City peace activists, veterans and military families marked the 6 year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War and occupation.
Several moving speeches were given, including by Gold Star fathers Warren Henthorn and John Scripsick, who lost their sons in Iraq. The Oklahoma Eyes Wide Open Exhibit was also on display, with 73 pairs of boots representing the Oklahomans who died in Iraq.
Here’s the speech by Veteran and conscientious objector Daniel Sandate, who now lives in OKC and is a peace activist and counter recruitment counselor.
(Sorry again for the shaky camera, haven’t got a tripod yet.)

Great song that is beloved enough to be parodied by half the planet — I just watched a bunch on YouTube. This is not the old Peter, Paul and Mary song! (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but The Proclaimers folk love anthem that is actually titled ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).’

The song was in Benny and Joon, the Johnnie Depp film. Check out mashups with Shrek, Homer Simpson, Family Guy, and South Park. Funny stuff.
It was even on Comic Relief, with Craig and Charlie chiming in at the end.

I’ve been out of commission for a few days with a major head cold, and before that a few days of my mother needing all my attention.
But I’m feeling better and hopefully will be in a browsing and posting mood again soon, with some time to do so.
Unfortunately, I did not miss the “hamster on a piano” craze. Like I wasn’t in enough misery!
So, here’s a worthwhile video of the great Suzi Quatro. it was on the Times Square soundtrack album, which is one of my favorite albums of all time. If you find a copy, grab it. I first got a cassette tape of it on just by chance, and wore that out in no time. Then got vinyl, then got another. (Song list here)

I visited the Pets and People shelter in Yukon today. I’m thinking about getting a small dog or cat.
The people who work and volunteer at such places are made of some strong stuff, I’m telling you. After about five minutes there, I was a basket case. So many animals without homes is heartwrenching. There must have been at least 30 cats in one room, and the cages of some of the large dogs were too small for comfort. But at least they are safe, warm and well fed. I’d say they need more volunteers, but

I love Rosie O’Donnell. I know a lot of people don’t, including lefties, gays and women. But I do. Her talk show may have saved my live; during a very difficult period I looked forward to that show every day, and it was the only thing I had to look forward to. Her love and enthusiasm for theater, music and pop culture was infectious. She used to say “my Tommy” referring to her “crush” on Tom Cruise (which infuriated a lot of the aforementioned gays), and I would refer to her as “My Rosie.”

I didn’t vote for Al Gore in 2000 and Joe Lieberman, Al’s stupendously stupid VP pick, is why. He was a whiny sanctimonious prick then, and he’s gotten worse every year since. His political assholery is becoming the stuff of legend. Only now, after being rejected by the Connecticut Democratic Party in 2006, he has an “I” next to his name. But he caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate, and, because in the last Congress they needed him in the caucus to maintain majority, he was given a plum chair

This is destined to be a classic: Mika Brzezenski defending Sarah Palin, Lawrence O’Donnell telling Pat Buchanan, who can’t stop fawning over Sarah Palin and lying about her impact on the ticket, that “yours is the party that celebrates ignorance” then asking if he believes in evolution. Then Pat’s head explodes. Monkeys! And Mika babbles in disbelief (okay, that last part happens all the time).
TV worth watching, I’m telling you!

Joan, still a fervent pacifist at 67, has a new album Day After Tomorrow (the title song is an anti war ballad by Tom Waits)

In an interview with CNN she talked about how she has grown with age, the changes in her voice, and about Barack Obama.
Joan’s MySpace page
Day After Tomorrow
I got your letter today
And I miss you all so much, here
I can’t wait to see you all
And I’m counting the days, dear
I still believe that there’s gold
At the end of the world
And I’ll come home
To Illinois
On

Watch this fantastic video ’song to Obama’

The singer/songwriter is Hannah Friedman. Talented, smart and brave woman. She left a comment on my last post with the link. Thank you, Hannah, for your great heart. I hope it’s not broken, by Obama, or anyone.

Change is coming! The future is waiting for us. Viva la revolution!

Well, better her than us, which is what it would be if she were to be elected VP. And the past 8 years have been one loooong prank call by George W. Bush, if you ask me.
She actually thought the president of France would call her to shoot the breeze and plan a hunting trip.
If she and her staff can’t vet a damn phone call, or know when they’re being played for a fool (which wasn’t hard to catch) how do you think they are going to keep this country safe from, like, actual bad guys who don’t throw out

Moveon.org has come up with a cool tool to get out the vote — videos than contain the viewer’s name as the deadbeat non-voter who caused McCain to win by one. It’s a horror movie come to life, your worst nightmare you can’t wake up from. Not the way you want to get your 15 minutes.
(Okay, if you’re going to get technical, if McCain won by one vote, then another one for Obama would be a tie, then it would go to the House, etc. etc, but let’s have a little suspension of disbelief in the interest

Good news — the Bush Legacy Tour is coming to our community!
Stop by the bus to see a traveling museum dedicated to President Bush’s failed conservative policies — and to show your support for Americans United for Change.
Wednesday, October 15th
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Oklahoma State Capitol
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
South End of South Parking Lot
Oklahoma City, OK

About the Bush Legacy Tour
Today, George W. Bush has the approval of only roughly one in three Americans according to most polls with two

Click play to see painting recreated.
Artist: Vimagi | painting | Just Do it.

If you’re in or near OKC this afternoon (Sunday, Sept. 21), you should drop over to Myriad Gardens to see hundreds of local children display their “pinwheels for peace” as a celebration of the International Day of Peace.
I went to this event last year, which was the first time this project came to Oklahoma City, and was very impressed by the enthusiasm and talent that was evident from the students. Besides a lot of colorful and creatively designed pinwheels of every size, there were many other wonderf

Transcript in this Daily Kos diary, along with the day-long discussion about getting it on the air in swing states. Truthandhope.org has been helping such grassroots video work get the production assistance and funding to be seen nationally, and they are hoping to do the same for this one (per comments in the links diary).
Naturally, tv advertising takes money, so, if you can, give them a few bucks.

(transcript of video here)
Obama spoke about the current economic crisis in Colorado yesterday; video and text of speech as prepared at link.
And, for those who keep saying that Obama hasn’t been giving “specifics” of his policies, please see his web page on the economy, and, last but far from least, the speech he gave exactly one year ago today — literally on Wall Street — addressing the dangerous situation with our unregulated markets directed only by greed (also with video).
There are a number

Perfect framing for this attack of McCain’s cluelessness on the economy on this historic day: played on Fox News, with the tanking numbers from Wall Street on the visual beside Biden.
h/t The Field
And, cluelessness isn’t even McCain’s worst factor on this issue. His go-to guy on economic issues is Phil Gramm, who, more than almost anyone, is responsible for what happened to Lehman Brothers.
If McCain wants to hold someone accountable for the failure in transparency and accountability that led to the

This is precious. Today, in “Scissortails” a hodge-podge board editorial — usually good for a laugh anyway — the Oklahoman takes issue with something that happened on MSNBC during the Democratic Convention in Denver. (Now you know none of them were watching MSNBC, I’m sure they got this news of the on-air dustup between Keith Olbermann and Joe Scarborough from Little Green Footballs or something.)
Get the shovel!
When MSNBC host/commentator Joe Scarborough was discussing positive developments in t

Economy tanking
Lobbyists influence
War without end
no body armor
environment in crisis
loss of habeas corpus
government spying on citizens
no accountability for law-breaking

McCain participated in or supported all. NOT change we can believe in.