Author Archives: Brooklyn Culture Jammers
Sentencing postponed due to weather
Originally posted on Transform Now Plowshares:
The sentencing hearing of Michael Walli, Greg Boertje-Obed and Megan Rice was interrupted by wintry weather—some might say providentially. Judge Amul Thapar announced at 1:15 that the federal courthouse was closing at 2:30pm because the accumulating snow promised to make travel treacherous. After a brief consultation among the attorneys…
Where is Occupy Wall Street on Extended Unemployment?
My ire was stirred a week or so ago by an article in Huff Post about the end of long-term unemployment benefits. For those of you joining late, the Congress left town in December for the Holiday recess without renewing extended unemployment benefits, which expired on December 28. The article itself was pretty straightforward. They interviewed a […]
Stopping the Empire–the Citizens United Version
Last Saturday, I took part in the Occu-evolve protest day on Citizens United. And because it was Occupy, and because they like hearing from Jerry the balding tubby radical, I rewrote HOW TO STOP THE EMPIRE WHILE KEEPING YOUR DAY JOB. This is a really solid video, shot by my friend Owen Long, a gifted […]
Huzzah! Unemployment fell to 6.7% (NOT)
Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we find that the US added a paltry 74,000 jobs in December (I’m assuming that’s seasonally adjusted and doesn’t include people hired for holiday retail). And yet despite that, the Unemployment rate fell to 6.7%. Huzzah!Praise be to Obama! Praise be to the fiscally responsible Republicans who refused to […]
Joblessness doesn’t pay
On the 28th of December, long term unemployment benefits expired. The Republican majority in Congress allowed this to happen even though a majority of Americans thought they should be continued. Depending on who you believe, this is the first time the US government has cut extended benefits with the long-term unemployment rate this high. Per the National […]
Amnesty for Edward Snowden?
Note: I had begun this post back in mid-December. It has regained relevance with the recent NY Times and Guardian editorials calling for amnesty for Snowden. The Guardian might be acting out of altruism, but I wonder about the motives at the Times. Is this a big sea-change at the Grey Lady? Or are they sending some kind of message […]
Bon Voyage, Mike Bloomberg
Unless something goes terribly wrong in the next 48 hours, tonight Michael Bloomberg will go to sleep as the FORMER mayor of America’s largest city. He leaves behind a municipality that is going through its worst homelessness crisis in decades, with upwards of 22,000 children among the transients camped out at SRO’s and shelters. This […]
Hurry up with 2014 already!
We are now in the armpit of the year that is the six days betwixt Xmas and New Year’s Day. I can’t do a Year in Review on a totally pessimistic note. I had several performance gigs. I bid adieu to Richmond, Virginia after getting rid of my parent’s lifetime’s accumulation of check stubs. On the […]
Christmas in the trenches–John McCutcheon
Originally posted on The Brooklyn Culture Jam:
This is a song (written by John McCutcheon) that’s been around since 1989, and you pretty much have to be a pacifist to have heard it. On Christmas Eve 1914, British and German soldiers crossed the trenches into No Man’s Land and had a truce for several hours.…
Everything’s up to date in Kansas City Court
This happened earlier this week, and in a glum year for protest, it’s relatively good news. Some people I’ve written about out in Kansas City were arrested and facing serious charges for trespass and other alleged crimes after they protested in front of a nuclear weapons facility being built in town. The protest occurred last […]
The Brooklyn Culture Jam 