The Road of Bones

Say, that's a good question!

Labels: Iraq

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Tuesday, August 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Yes, in fact, it is a joke. So I'm told. (Hat tip to 'da Dieb.)

Labels: 9/11

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Monday, August 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Labels: Gone-zales

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Monday, August 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Note: I've just been informed that this piece was passed on by my typical benefactors because it is too 'informal'. I was offered a chance to clean it up, salvage the words if you will, and get it on the streets by next week. But ... I like how it turned out. Considering how much heat I took from that FW Weekly Static piece (from the peace people, no less), I thought releasing the original would bring me some good karma. Enjoy!

FW Council: to Bush, or Not to Bush?

By Stephen C. Webster
Contributing Writer

That Which Must Be Done: a phrase of typical importance in all of our every day lives. Breathe. Eat. Sleep. Drink. Drive vehicle. Work. Rest. All of these must be done.

What about, “Impeach Bush”?

To Diane Wood and the Tarrant County Green Party, removal of the current Executive, our Resident Rancher himself – and his band of hairy, merry men -- is indeed something that Must Be Done.

Last Thursday night, Diane and members of Code Pink Ft. Worth, along with a troupe of unaffiliated dissidents, put into motion a novel plan: if Congress won't do it, maybe the local city council will! A resolution of impeachment based on the crimes of George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, “et. al.” was drafted, and plans were laid.

Once the speakers were selected, the Peach Wagon seemed to be moving along unfurled. Unfortunately, confusion still ensued.

“Does anyone know how we get on the agenda?” asked Diane to a group of eight at 1919 Hemphill, something of a revolutionists concert venue -slash- free-shop in south-west Ft. Worth. “I think we just have to call. Don't they have a part of the meeting where citizens can speak?”

At the prior Sunday's strategy session, the notion expressed was genuine, and certainly common among the sprawling majority of America: Bush is a generally Bad Dude, and we've pretty much had enough. Spying, lying and too much dying. The message is hard to avoid these days.

After some debate, at least one member was settled on calling ahead to be put on the agenda for Thursday, August 9. The group's previously-announced date, the 7^th, was postponed because of “National Night Out”.

It was to be a shot in the dark, and word was put on the wires, through local mailing lists such as DallasRally.com, and chains of friends on MySpace. The publicity got the attention of another local band of rebels, though cut from slightly different cloth than the 40-and-up crowd scheming away at Hemphill.

If you thought John Kerry was a flip-flopper (as though Bush isn't?), you don't know Wobbly. Or, rather, The Wobblies.

The Wobblies, or more formally, Industrial Workers of the World, are one of America's oldest labor unions. They gave English such phrases as, “Get off your soapbox!” (a reference to how they conducted town hall meetings in 1916). Oh, and they want to eradicate capitalism.

Some real, Red and Black Flag stuff.

As legend has it, a Chinese immigrant who ran a restaurant used to give patronage to IWW members, but had a hard time pronouncing the “W”. He called them, “I Wobble Wobble”, and a goofy tag line was born.

On the night of the council meeting, just about everyone was on time. 7 p.m rolled around, and the chambers were full. The Public Record was running.

The conservative-dissenters were already inside, waiting patiently for a chance to speak. Leave it to the Wobblies to fit a stereotype: they actually brought Red and Black flags.

Seven individuals one might describe as “youths” stood grinning, literature, billboards and piercings glistening in the friscalating sunset. Another tall, lanky gentleman of considerable age stood alongside, his head nearly rectangular, framed by wire-rimmed glasses.

He was picking at an open sore on the left side of his face. An item of unknown definition lead this writer to believe it to be a booger, dangling down over his left ear. An odd place for mucus of such origin.

But they were eager, and genuine. They wanted to show support. Solidarity. Or, as one of their signs read, “Eliminate the Office, Not JUST the Executive!”

The only remaining problem was boredom, which quickly set in. Nearly four hours until citizen presentation, the group left to wobble around down town.

Standing on the corner of 6^th and Throckmorton, they smiled idly at the scant passers-by, occasionally waiving their signs at cars. Most of the material was impeachment-related. They hoped to bring it in to the council chambers. (They were Refused by the cops.)

A small crowd of black-clad teens, one pushing another in a wheelchair, teetered by with a whoop. “Hell yeah!” gushed the man on wheels. “Bush is a Douche Bag!” His voice petered out around Bag as he coughed for breath.

Another gentleman walked by grinning at the revolutionaries and outstretched his middle finger, pausing to emphasize it in their faces. “Nice ring,” someone said.

An elderly couple approached, warmth and friendliness literally bleeding from their ears. “Are you supporting the impeachment of Bush?” asked a short woman with a bonnet and cane.

“Yes 'mam,” said a heavyset activist with a pink bandanna. “And the unionization of the Working Class!”

“Oh,” muttered the woman's husband in a gruff point. They literally turned heel and walked in the opposite direction.

Maybe they didn't know: Journalist Edward R. Murrow, after standing up against the bully Senator Joeseph McCarthy, was accused of being an IWW member. Hellen Keller (Yes, that Hellen Keller) was one, and Writer Noam Chomfsky pays his dues to this day. So was Rodger Nash Baldwin, founder of the ACLU.

Four and a half hours later, council was finally coming around. Citizens Presentation was to begin any minute now. But with a sudden declaration, the Wobblies wanted to leave.

“We're tired. Its late. Whatever.”

They were swayed into staying by an anarchist photographer who reeked of rice wine and body odor. He suggested the Wobs, as a gesture of support to the conservative-looking speakers, stand in a straight line in the back of the room, heads down and fists raised. The group's perceived leader, Will Schnack, grinned wildly at the idea.

Inside the council chambers, their execution wasn't quite as flawless as the idea. The third speaker, a multi-tour Iraq veteran who fears (with some justification) that Bush has laid the groundwork for domestic Martial Law, stood before the council and held his head down, hands shaking so violently his paper seemed to be blowing in a wind.

The pink-bandana'd Wobbily rose from his front-row seat and crossed his arms as the man finished his comments. The audience, or at least the present supporters, applauded the speech, but when they fell silent and one man was still standing, council got fidgety.

An officer sitting five seats down drew close and motioned him down. “What, I can't stand here?” asked the activist (who later recanted his name from The Record).

The cop's eyes narrowed and he lurched forward quick, grasping the large Wob's right arm and forcing him into his seat. “Down!” he blurted, drawing a look of shock.

The speeches went on, nonetheless. Seven individuals spoke in favor of the council adopting their homespun impeachment resolution. Upon its passage, the vote and opinions of those present would be entered into the Congressional record as a petition to the Speaker of the House. “Hey, it happened in San Francisco!”

The council wasn't having any of it. After two speeches, the Mayor began to explain why he was going to lump all those speaking out against Bush into one group and dismiss the rest of their time to speak. Diane, one hand meekly poked in the air, asked him to allow the presentation to move on, explaining that everyone would approach the impeachment issue from different angles.

In spite of the statement, all the speakers hit the same topics in the same way. The war is a lie, illegal spying, use of poisonous depleted uranium in Iraq, mangling the national guard, erosion of civil liberties, secret torture sites and – a favorite – the issuance of executive orders that could effectively allow Bush to declare himself a dictator in the event of a national emergency.

That's what they said, anyway. Sort-of reads like a grocery list. “Bread, milk, eggs, CIA Black Sites, Reichstag Fire ...”

Their concerns were dismissed without so much as a batted eye by the Ft. Worth Council. Nearing midnight at that point, the activists, socialist revolutionaries and heroic ex-soldier left unfulfilled, but still determined.

As it turns out, the leadership of Ft. Worth, Texas, home to six major corporations that have bottom lines based on the continued violence in Iraq – including Consolidated Robots, recently purchased by the Halliburton corporation for a cool $25 Billion to create the most terrifying modes of techno-death known to man – aren't so much for taking down the Rough Rider who juiced up their wealthy constituents in the first place.

Go Figure.

Outside the municipal building, a few “Industrial Workers” were still wobbling around near the door. “Man, I should have got arrested!” said Pinky, rubbing his elbow. “That would have been a great show of, like, Solidarity.”

Labels: Bush

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Monday, August 20, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

One lesser-known arm of America's drug war is the use of airborne herbicides on nations to our south. One such compound is Agent Green, a highly concentrated version of 'Round-Up'.

According to doctors there, it isn't just the plants being affected ...

The Ecuadorians suffered a variety of ailments immediately following the spraying, including intestinal pain and vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, numbness, burning eyes and skin, blurred vision, difficulty in breathing and rashes, according to the study, which is to be published in the journal Genetics and Molecular Biology.

But the extensive damage to DNA found in the randomly selected individuals may activate the development of cancer or other developmental effects resulting in miscarriages, according to lead researcher César Paz y Miño, head of human molecular genetics at the Catholic University of Ecuador.

In general, everyone has some level of DNA damage due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, toxic chemicals and other factors. However, none of the 24 randomly selected individuals used tobacco, alcohol or nonprescription drugs, nor did they use other herbicides or pesticides that could have caused the extensive DNA damage observed, Mr. Paz y Miño told Tierramérica.

The concentration levels of Roundup were measured at more than 20 times the maximum recommended rate and may be the reason behind the adverse effect on the exposed individuals, he said. The effect was classified as “genotoxic,” which means it is capable of causing genetic mutation.

So, while we're arresting and killing our own citizens for making poor moral choices, we're also in the midst of a chemical warfare campaign against our neighbors.

Washington Post has more on a similar drug-problem nation: Afghanistan; in a story titled, 'The Lost War'.

Labels: drugs

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Monday, August 20, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

White House's top liar, former Faux Noise anchor Tony Snow, has announced his resignation! He claims more resignations will follow.

One question: Are there enough life vests left?

Labels: lies

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Thursday, August 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Hey kiddos! Your faithful Muckraker has another piece in the Ft. Worth Weekly that hit newsstands yesterday. Scope this ...

In far-flung parts of our great land — admittedly, the more foreign parts, like California and Vermont — there is a homegrown movement afoot to (Warning: if you read the following words, Homeland Security officers may show up on your doorstep) impeach the Shrub. The grassroots types aren’t the only ones with this thought, of course: At least one book has been written about it, and conversation about the idea is all over the web. Action on the topic, however, has not been all over Congress, so the activists have turned to another venue to make their point: They are asking city councils to pass resolutions endorsing the removal of both George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. About 85 cities have passed it, including Detroit, Santa Cruz, and Woodstock. In alphabetical order, Fort Worth would have fit on the list of impeachment-friendly cities somewhere between Ferndale, Mich., and Grafton, Vt.

But, c’mon, do you really think an oil-and-gas baron mayor serving on a conservative city council nestled in a Republican stronghold smack dab in the Bible Belt is going to support impeaching the president and vice president, even after they’ve spat on the Constitution, lied about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, snubbed U.S. traditions to start a pre-emptive war, allowed domestic wiretapping and surveillance of Americans without warrants, and ordered indefinite detentions of people without charges or access to attorneys? Still, miracles happen. So a small collection of Green Party members and Code Pink activists descended on council chambers last Thursday, resolution in hand.

Read the rest!

Labels: Impeachment

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Thursday, August 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

It isn't often I am afforded the opportunity to scratch bones with someone who advocates genocide and tyranny ... But, as it so happens, today was such a day!

Phillip Atkinson, writer of "A Theory of Civilization" (found at OurCivilisation.com), recently published a piece of tripe entitled "Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy" on a Website called "Family Security Matters".

Okay, let's back up a bit. I've not previously heard of Mr. Atkinson, but his column, which the Website quickly retracted, made my hair stand on end. Among other things, he calls for "President Bush to use his nuclear weapons to slaughter Iraqis until they complied with his demands, or until they were all dead."

But, he says, Bush would never do that because of "his cowardly electorate" which would not only end Bush's term, but his life, for such a gross offense. (Damn skippy.)

Atkinson goes on to cite Julius Caesar as historical precedent for What Must Be Done. He claims that Bush could either fail in his duty to "God" by stepping down at his term's end, or declare himself "President For Life" and bring "salvation" to the Americas by "emptying Iraq of Arabs" and "fill[ing] it with Americans", thus making the nation an "asset" while simultaneously "terrifying American enemies."

Family Security Matters took the column down in quick order. Even they realized that this gentleman was advocating genocide and tyranny on a scale this species has never seen.

Here's where it gets a little more frightening: Family Security Matters is a front group for the right-wing think tank Center for Security Policy, which hosts none other than Vice President Dick Cheney on its advisory board. It has also been host to a laundry-list of right-wing holdovers, and is now currently known as the "National Security Advisory Council".

Let me rephrase that: a group associated with Vice President Cheney published a column advocating a genocidal dictatorship in the United States. In VERY CLEAR LANGUAGE.

You can read Atkinson's genocidal advocacy, cached on Google, here.

After reading and re-reading the piece, still unsure if I was hallucinating, I decided to send Mr. Atkinson a piece of my mind. The letter, sent to rpa@ourcivilisation.com, went a little something like this ...

Mr. Atkinson,

In response to your published-then-retracted piece "Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy", I should rather like to add my statements to those you've certainly amassed.

Sir, you either have an incomprehensible sense of irony and the piece was simply "over my head" ... Or, your sense of loyalty to Bush has transcended your sense of loyalty to this nation.

Should the current war leader feel the need to heed your advice and make such a proclamation, you will be surprised at the number of us who are willing to die in defense of our freedom.

Despite current climate and lack of true debate, there are very clear lines drawn in our Constitution that will trigger revolt if crossed. Your column touches on one of 'em.

I'm sorry you've abandoned America in favor of a despotic plot, but it gives me hope that even a far-right venue such as "Family Security Matters" would see fit to withdraw your fascistic, genocidal polemic.

In spite of your disagreement with our nation's bedrock, I'd lay my life on the line for your right to voice such murderous ideas. That's what we're about.

Stephen Webster

And to my shock, he actually wrote back! Mr. Atkinson says (bolded words are my emphasis) ...

Dear Sir,

Thank you for repeating Voltaire’s stance by supporting my right to express an opinion, alas I fear we are part of a very small, and now irrelevant, minority.

When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon he declared war on the existing order, and he succeeded because it was generally believed by enough Ancient Roman citizens that drastic change was necessary for the good of all ancient Romans, and they were prepared to fight for this good. The ensuing civil war was the only way ancient Rome could change from a divided Republic to a united Monarchy, even though the term Monarchy was never used.

The article published, then dropped, along with its author, by Family Security Matters, was aimed at finding a defence against the awful threat of anonymous nuclear attacks upon the USA. A solution must be found to this catastrophic probability if humanity is not to be plunged into a dreadful dark age, and if that solution is to slaughter whole nations, then it must be better than allowing the destruction of humanity. Further, genocide has been a tool used throughout history; nuclear weapons just make it quicker and easier. Certainly the ancient Roman Civilization, which supplied world peace, was founded upon mass murder. And Ancient Roman civilization was destroyed when it failed to maintain this policy of mass slaughter. Nevertheless, whatever the solution, it can never be achieved by a government at the mercy of a cowardly electorate.

Please note that 911 was predicted by Arnold Toynbee in “A Study Of History” published in 1952, where he claimed that Western Civilization was declining, and as EVERY declining civilization became subject to attack by Barbarian War bands, then so would we. Since the USA incinerated Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons in 1945 such arms have become much more refined and widespread, which means they will be used by these war-bands.

Please note that while Toynbee was an astute observer, he was a poor interpreter of his observations, but I have managed to repair his short-comings and extend his claims in my work, freely available on the internet at www.ourcivilisation.com. It allows anyone to understand what a civilization is, and the state of our civilization.

Kind Regards,

Philip Atkinson

To which I could not resist responding with zeal ...

Mr. Atkinson,

With all due respect, this civilization which you envision is not a civilization I would be a part of. I am fully aware of our true histories, much hidden from the masses, especially in the system of public education. I know full well that our plains were paved by the blood of natives and European pioneers. Even this majestic civilization was built upon wholesale slaughter, and the first practices of biological warfare ... And much like Rome, we suffer most wounds from within.

However, the civilization -- and indeed, the world -- which you have proposed, is not a world in which I would live. I should rather die a symbol of revolution than submit to a despot who would commit genocide in my name, and the good names of my family and closest friends, to whom human rights are foremost.

Toynbee was not the only one to predict a catastrophe such as 9/11. Interestingly, another modern day prophet predicted the attack down to the week, even citing the model of airplane to be used and the targets to be attacked. That gentleman's name is Alex Jones; reviled by many, feared by few, and loved by the paranoid. I find it remarkable that he knew what was coming more than a month ahead of time, though I have developed a distaste for his demagoguery.

Nevertheless, before pronouncing our Constitutional government over-and-done-with and bowing down to our new Emperor, one should look inward and ask the question: have we been told the truth about 9/11? The answer is, 'Most Certainly Not', and you don't have to be a theorist to determine that many important questions remain unanswered. Aside from the obvious questions of liberty and security, why would anyone wish to cede their freedom to a man incapable of and intolerant to Truth?

You may regard me as idyllic, uninformed or misguided by liberal ideologies that allow growth and expression of the individual over the execution of a Greater Good (through any means necessary). Rest assured sir, I regard you, via your writing, as arrogant, deceived, and, at best, uncaring of the human condition.

Your pronunciation and articulation of this Straussian nightmare would make a man like Adolph Hitler blush. Certainly you realize you have advocated nothing less than worldwide genocide. No possible future is worth such bloodshed.

Our condition is a far cry from what you perceive. We have no such choices to make. Your ultimatums of annihilation simply do not exist.

What you fail to take into consideration is the power of ideas other than those you espouse. Your idea has power stripped across its blood-soaked face, aggressive and unfeeling. Ours is less aggressive, but pervasive, and without end.

When we say "Live Free or Die", we fucking mean it. I take comfort in the knowledge that the peoples of the world are fiercely aligned against you and your shrinking band of Imperialists.

Stephen C. Webster

If our our friendly neighborhood fascist writes back this 'eve or tomorrow, rest assured that I'll be posting it here. After all, it isn't every day one gets to converse with a friend to tyrants.

**UPDATE

A reply! And much more interesting than most ...

Sir,

It is clear you are uninterested in understanding the subjects you do not hesitate to make judgements about. We are both part of a declining civilization, a subject that Professor Toynbee dedicated his life to understanding because he knew that the history of civilizations was the history of humanity and by understanding civilizations you would understand humanity.

You neither know nor care what a civilization is, why it declines, or why you should be concerned. This means that you are driven not by knowledge but by feelings fuelled by ignorance. Only a lunatic would dare to presume to speak with authority on subjects he does not know or understand.

Please note that a lunatic is someone who recognises right from wrong by his feelings, the same way every beast does. What separates humanity from beasts is the ability to recognise right from wrong independently of our feelings: by use of a moral code. You tell me what moral code you use to understand right from wrong or stand condemned as just another madman.

Kind Regards,
Philip Atkinson

While I haven't quite yet penned a reply to this letter, I think it might sound something like this ...

If standing for the equality and value of human life, international human rights, prevention of preemptive wars, enforcement of the common law against leaders who abuse it and the continued sounding of freedom's clarion call are the traits of "just another madman", you can call me Randle Patrick McMurphy.

But, with all due respect sir, it is not I who has flown over the Cuckoo's Nest.

If you have children or grandchildren, I suggest you look into their eyes and voice aloud your advocacy of genocide in their presence. Should your voice not falter, sir, you can rest assured that it is not I suffering a loss of sanity.

More to come? We'll see!

**UPDATE**
More indeed! Mr. Atkinson responds (after midnight CST, mind you) ...

Sir,

Your failure to reveal how you recognise right from wrong - a regular, repeated, daily choice – confirms you are a slave to your feelings and thus irrational.

Kind Regards,

Philip Atkinson

And my parting words, not likely to be the last in this back-and-forth methinks, fell as such:

I will forever hold our conversation close to my heart.

It isn't every day one such as myself -- a common, irrational madman, no different from a beast (and thus easy to dismiss, I'm certain) -- is allowed the enlightenment of dictators and tyrants the world over.

Amen and Mahalo. I think I've made a new friend.

Labels: Fascism

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Wednesday, August 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

From the mouth of his brother ...

Labels: Pat Tillman

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Wednesday, August 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Got a new piece on the streets. Check it out ...

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Based on technology developed by scientists in the Netherlands, the American Department of Homeland Security is about to initiate a program that would automatically detect "hostile intent" in a person, even if they don't necessarily make their intent clear.

The system, focus of a Arts of Technology story, incorporates facial expressions and body language, along with speech patterns and other psychological cues to figure out what you're thinking. (The technology has other applications too, such as a mood-based Pong game.)

So far, DHS claims the system is rendering a near-90 percent success rating, which is impressive considering the technology. But what would a 10 percent failure rate mean for airport travelers? Hope you weren't thinking about your ex as you walked through that security terminal.

Our collective headache just got a little worse.

Labels: security

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Dallas Morning News writer Wayne Slater, author of "The Architect: Karl Rove and the Master Plan for Absolute Power", calls Karl Rove's resignation "the end of the Bush presidency, absolutely."

He goes on to say:

"All lame ducks are lame ducks. This one, with Karl Rove now turning out the lights, is the most lame duck we've seen in a long time."

An interview with Mr. Slater can be found here.

Labels: Bush

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

From Bush's original cabinet, of his closest few, only Vice President Cheney remains. With the resignation of Rove (which convinces me there's something big coming down the pipeline), Cheney stands alone as the one man who will have to go before Bush is Impeached.

Knowing what we know now, it would be wise to learn from our histories. Say, 1994, a time when Iraq was the number one story on broadcast news.



No, no, really guys. They're in the 'final throes' of violence right now. That's it.

Labels: Iraq

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Monday, August 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Whew! Felt so good, I had to write it thrice.

(Think it had something to do with this?) Wall Street Journal has the story.

Labels: justification

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Monday, August 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Pay attention. This is important.

Labels: 9/11

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Wednesday, August 08, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Just got back from the Immortal Technique/Wu-Tang Clan show in Dallas, and BOY are my legs tired!

(But seriously though ... It was great. Technique is on point, as always. And I'm interviewing him for a story in the Lone Star Iconoclast! I feel special. Can I get some duces? Yeahhh ...)


If you don't know Technique, dig the track below, and pay close attention to the lyrics. It is simply revolutionary.

Labels: Music

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Wednesday, August 08, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

General Wesley Clark is accusing "the very top" of ordering the murder of Pat Tillman, the NFL pro-turned soldier who was shot down by fellow Rangers. Tillman joined the service after 9/11/2001 and became a national icon for it. But when he arrived in Iraq he called the invasion "fucking illegal" and planned to return to the states and become an anti-war figure.

Several new documents reveal the bullets that felled him were fired from a distance of 10 yards or so. Recently, President Bush declared that his executive privilege exempts the administration from releasing all it knows about the death.

And now there's this:


Could General Clark be correct? Was Pat Tillman murdered before he could become the most powerful anti-war figure in the nation? Why are they stonewalling the investigation into his death? These and other answers, coming soon?

Labels: Iraq

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Good Gravy! I may have just stumbled into my biggest interview yet!

Those who know me will tell you -- I'm a huge fan of the late (or do they say dead nowadays?) author Hunter S. Thompson. His wife Anita is releasing a book titled "The Gonzo Way: A Celebration of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson", featuring interviews with his friends, insights into his life from Anita and reflections on Hunter's departure from the Gonzo Journalism power-structure.

(Needless to say, I really want a copy. You should too, damnit.)

Anyway, so the other day I'm checking messages on the 'ole Muckraker's MySpace when outta nowhere comes a friend request from Anita Thompson! I could hardly believe it, so I sent a personal reply. It went a little (er, exactly) like this ...

Anita,

Thank you SO much for requesting to be my friend. Though gestures such as clicking a button on MySpace (or, God Knows, using a program to gather friends for you) may not be much of a personal stretch ... But to receive such a request from you merits a thousand personal responses.

I'm a fan of Hunter's, and an admirer of the woman who managed to love him. I say that with absolute respect. Hunter is the reason I am a career writer. I wear or carry a Gonzo pin wherever I go (on business, anyway), and my profile and blog bear the certainly copyrighted image, mostly as a talisman, to remind me of the path now traveled. I could never hope to imitate; I merely pay reverence.

All of my best wishes go out to you and Juan. I'm almost overjoyed to be your MySpace friend. Namaste and mahalo.

--Stephen C. Webster

To my great shock, I got a personal reply! Not from Anita, but Michelle Baldwin with Fulcrum Publishing. She writes ...

Hi Stephen-

Just wanted to let you know that I set this page up on Anita's behalf, but that she will be on here, hopefully answering emails. She saw the huge amount of Hunter fans on myspace and wanted to connect with you all and let you know about the book!

In the meantime, I'll give her your message, I know she'll be delighted to read it. Keeping Hunter's legacy alive is so important to her, and you are definitely helping that cause.

We are planning on coming down to Austin for a day or two for signings and an event with the University this fall. When that date is set, would you be interested in interviewing her before the event and helping to get the word out?

Michelle Baldwin
Fulcrum Publishing

Of course, I emphatically accepted. I'll let you all know if it is going forward, and where it'll be published. I may have to call in some L.A. contacts for this one.

Mahalo.

Labels: Hunter S. Thompson

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Holy ... Somethingsomethingsomething. This is AMAZING!



The 'Moller M200X' carries two passengers and can fly up to 50 feet off the ground at a top speed of 50 miles per hour, using rotary engines to create a 'ground effect'. According to Sky News, the vehicle has been flight tested hundreds of times, and will be capable of "docking with skyscrapers".

I hardly know what to say, other than ... This is the future. And I so want one.

Labels: flying saucer

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

This guy must have been working on something big ... Or it was revenge. I hope the truth comes out.

Labels: journalism

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

Or, better still, don't do any illegal drugs.

But seriously though ... According to ABC News, there's a skirmish brewing in D.C. about how federal funds are being used in the so-called "War on Drugs". The Bush Administration is so obsessed with combating marijuana due to its rampant popularity and false-flag "gateway effect" that it neglects the most harmful and addictive narcotic out there: methamphetamine.

We're wasting billions of tax dollars on anti-pot measures that include cartoon ads (I prefer this one), featuring talking dogs, self-parodies with a deflated (or is it melting?) teen, and brothers making out with each other on "accident" because they were just "too blazed" on the reefer. I don't know about you, but the "Above the Influence" ads actually make me want to consume illegal substances.

("Gee, Wally ... So, you're telling me that I can have a coversation with my dog if I take a puff of that funny cigarette? Gosh ...")

In the mean-time, communities, even entire towns, are being ripped to shreds by an easy-to-produce, easy-to-conceal substance that contains battery acid, among other frightening compounds. The smoke can cause chemical burns, for chrissake, yet we are so obsessed with a nontoxic plant that has never been directly linked to a death-by-overdose?

Ehh. Enough ranting. Just read the ABC piece. Outside of shutting down the battle against our own people, there's better applications for the blood money pumped into this war-cartel. Meth kills. Weed doesn't. Comprende?

Minimize harm. And don't forget to laugh --



After all, we're still (sorta) free.

Labels: drugs

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

A general strike has been called for Septembeer 11, 2007.

No work. No school. No shopping. Its time to demand accountability for the lies, the scandals, the death, and the trampling of our rights.

This year, on 9/11, get out in the streets and get people's attention. We're in bad trouble. We need a change in leadership, and we need it now.

When events are scheduled in the D/FW area, I'll have the score here. Check back soon.

Labels: Protest

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

The so-called "Talon-Sword" robot is one mean looking bitch.


And they've been deployed in Iraq! According to reports, it is now only a matter of time before the 'bot racks up its first kill.

Kripes! Keep those off my streets, man ...

Labels: Iraq

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments

In 56 of Ohio's 88 counties, ballots from the 2004 Presidential election have been mysteriously destroyed.

This stinks worse than a warehouse of corpses.

Labels: 2004 election

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments