Thunder Road

Waves of revolution no longer need only be heard crashing on the shores of distant regimes when the gauntlet for change lies at our feet. Though the echoing clamor seems to have left Washington, DC like the hollow hoofbeats of a retreating army, its force drives across the country with fresh thunder. What Congress and the White House think they have exiled, we the people will return to their door.

You see, they don't acknowledge an upswell they no longer hear. They listen for the quiet, because to them an angry but apathetic constituency is the same as a happy one. They have no responsibility to satisfy the silent. So if the story is no longer on the front pages of the Washington Post or New York Times, to them the issues have "etherized."

But Chicago, Indianapolis, Miami - you know what the renewal of the Patriot Act really means. Birmingham, Little Rock, Lincoln - you know what it is like to have a loved one die for lies. New York, Memphis, Santa Fe - you know what happens to your in-need communities when corporations are allowed to write laws that benefit themselves at your expense.

And New Orleans, well, you probably know the best of all what courruption and mismanagement in government costs every individual in a community.

Congress is intended to be a place for visionaries, not vested interests; for families, not fancy vacations; for the workers, not the WalMarts.

That we all have a right to happiness is a founding principal in this country. That some feel it's okay that their happiness comes at the expense of others is to evade the responsibilities of leadership. Our representatives serve at our pleasure, not those of corporate special interests. To that extent, it's not too late to let your voices be heard. The time, in fact, is now.

Bush is coming to my town tomorrow and I am going to be there with all the others that Washington's feigned ignorance has awakened. We are the thunder that will return the clamor to Capitol Hill and the steps of the White House. Don't let the noise echo out to sea; send it back to DC.

When we stand up, they must stand down.

Another Bruce Kay GUEST COLUMN*:

From the upcoming bombography

Bruce Kay’s' "Brief Notes between the Explosions"

Dateline: Baghdad
March '06

The people here just can't contain their excitement -"The Academy Awards".

There's a buzz in the streets in the streets. Whoa-that buzz is incoming. Damn! So, maybe the excitement is about something else. Hmmm, what else is there? Hmmm, why did I volunteer to cover the film scene here? Good questions.

The Sunni-Dance Film Festival doesn't seem like such a good idea to me... now, but I am fascinated with the Arabic versions of our top films. They've adjusted them ever so slightly for the local populace.

The leading contenders here are not a surprise:

- "Brokenback Mountain," another Abu Grahib based story.

- "Forced March of the Penguins"

- From last year, just released here, "Passion of the Christ," but now, with a laugh track.

Speaking of big laughs, there is a Comedy Central special coming up the locals are really excited about, “The Friar Roast of Saddam-Literally."

Also cracking them up, the Arabic version of "The Aristocrats," with added footage of Bin Laden's really dirty version involving a goat sacrifice, three virgins, and…well, I don't want to ruin it for you. Hopefully it will make it to the states.

Among the big documentary hits is “The Bush Peace Plan: Mission Really, Really, Really Impossible."

Unfortunately, though, "Mohammed's Satirical Cartoon Festival" was cancelled at the last minute. No one saw that coming.

On a related note, there is an announcement that while the Sunday morning Kritics Koffee is still scheduled for Oscar Sunday, there will be no Danish. No explanation given.

Well, that’s it from the Green Zone. I was just informed there will be a Fatwa issued against this column unless I thank our sponsor, Mohammed’s Truckles Movers, who remind you, “Just pile your belongings on the mountain, we'll take it from there."

_______________________________

*GUEST COLUMN contributions appear as a courtesy and though vetted they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers of this blog nor our advertisers.

GUEST COLUMN: Why I'm on a Blog

by Bruce Kay
-From the unpublished autobiography
"So, you couldn't get published either?"

"Why can't I call it 'Swimming with Sharks'?"
I pleaded.
"Its been done" said my agent.
"Even a Kevin Spacey movie, with the same name, came out about a decade ago-
with that title.If you were a tad less self absorbed you'd know that."
"Gladys,don't 'dis me" (I was trying my best hip lingo to impress her). "I have street crud."
"Thats 'cred'," she replied in her clipped British way,
"No, wait. In your case, maybe you were right.
Either way, if you want people to read your stuff you've got to be original."
"Gladys your a pip."
"SEE, that's what I mean - NOT original"
I could see I was getting under her skin.
Not good. She was respected in this business.
Not like (name changed to avoid lawsuit) Goniff, my last agent.
When I told him my idea for an autobiography, he said "Schmuck, who wants to read the
story of your car?"
I had to drop him,or was it the other way around. Regardless, now I had to kowtow to Gladys.
"Well how about 'Jogging with Chihuahuas.' I've also done that, and it's not easy."
Silence from Gladys.
Not good.
"You thinking about it?"
"Nope , just yawning love."
"Well, I've got, uh, good -yeah, good- stories.
Some that aren't even made up."
"Not like this conversation?"
She had me there.
"Look, I'm off."
She sounded tired.
"Time to, ah, wash my hair."
"Thanks for the segue."
I said , proud of myself, that I coud use 'segue' in a sentence.
"As a matter of fact, you've inspired me to start a chapter on my dating experience-I heard that 'hairwashing'
excuse a lot."
"Ta, love" and she was gone.
So that was it, the idea for the next chapter.
Milk my 'near sex' experiences for all they're worth.
This will make my "Million Little Pieces" nearly true.
Take that Oprah!
Bring up the girls that brought me down.
That would fill a book.
"That would fill an encyclopedia," said Gladys, or would have, had she not had a head full of Herbal Essence by now.
In the past , Gladys had said:
"Writing about personal experiences requires hearing ones' inner voice."
Unfortunately, mine was Brian Wilson. That can't be good.
Wait,... "Lyin' in Bed Like Brian Wilson Did",... Tune by the Bare Naked Ladies...
'My Dating Experience'
Oh,Oh, another good segue.

Look here for more columns, aka disjointed ramblings, from the not soon to be published book
Bruce Kay "A Collection of My Columns"
Well, Dave Barry did it, & no one got on his ass!

Tough Love Time for Congress

With all the headlines in Friday's news about how the government screwed up with Katrina and Iraq, you would think the foundations of the Capitol would be quaking. Yet just when the walls seem like they should be rubble at our feet, it seems as if they are still standing. Why is that? Are we so eager to have a functioning government that we are in as much denial as we are within our own families about their mutually diabolical disfunction? Have American voters become enablers?

Well, if that's the case, then it's time to replace tough talk with tough love. It's time for an intercession. With congress unwilling to do it - even to the point of compromising on the liberty-compromising Patriot Act - to whom do we turn? When our representatives no longer represent our interests, but those of lobbyists and other large special interests, we have to, have to, turn to the courts and the law.

When those who make the law decline to realisticly judge their own actions, then we the people must use the second-to-last resort : the Judiciary.

This Valentines Day, show some tough love to your senators and representatives and take them to court. Call them on their disfunction.

Call them on their greed, mismanagement and cronyism: has your congressional representative taken money for earmarks, or voted themselves a raise while your wage hasn't gone up in ten years? Sounds like a class-action to me!

Call them on their disingenouos moral stands. Is your representative spending more time talking about their relationship with their god then helping feed, clothe and educate those who are the poorest and most at risk? Sue their butts for infringing on your rights.

So intercede with your representative, and think of the courts as rehab.
After that, there is only us.