Howard Dean On Commuting

“Once again President Bush and the GOP have undermined a core American value: equal justice under the law for every American. By commuting this sentence, President Bush is sending a clear message that the rules don’t apply to the Bush White House or loyal Republican cronies. After promising that anyone who violated the law would be 'taken care of,' President Bush instead handed Scooter Libby a get out of jail free card. Though Libby was convicted by a jury of lying about a matter of national security, President Bush is sparing him the consequences ordinary Americans would face. This conviction was the first moment of justice in a Bush Administration void of accountability. It’s a sad day for America when the President once again puts protecting his friends ahead of equal justice under the law.”

Worth a Thousand Words

David Stevenson sent this pic from the Saturday show at DemFest. It's a shame most of the crowd left before the entertainment started. There was some really good music, and really bad improv, but it was fun and I felt sad for those who came from far away to perform to so many empty chairs that night.

My main performance was to be at the Blogger's Breakfast, so I got my shot at the larger crowd, and my chance to sing a memorial to Edwin and jc. Howard liked my Gore/Dean T shirt and he signed one of my cds. I got to play Gizmo with Thankful, Denise and Mainefem, and for three wonderful days, all was right with the world.

After what I've been through this past week, it's nice to look back and remember time spent with longtime friends.

Love Is God

Love is God

One of my heros, Pete Townsend turned his fans on to the wisdom of Meher Baba. I had one of his poems in my wallet for years, but when I looked for it today it was gone. So I'm left with giving you the jist of his words. It amazes me how the ancient wisdom, handed down through the generations, applys to our new sciences.

God is Love and Love must Love.
But Love is One, Infinite and perfect,
And has naught to Love
But itself.

So Love must imagine a Lover to Love...

Back in the 70's I read a Hindu story of Krishna Lila.

It seems there were a group of devout women called 'Gopis.' Their hearts so were filled with the Love of the Love, that they cried day and night in yearning so deep that Krishna's Heart was broken and he came down and gave each Gopi her own personal Krishna.

Then there's this Jesus fella.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see Love."

Eternal Love is something we all carry around. We are Love's imagined Lover. Our Love is as timeless as the Lover that imagined it.

Something to think about.

"Would you like fries with that?"

The Subway Serenade @ DemocracyFest 2007

Caregiving

I'm not the only person who cares for a disabled loved one at home, but sometimes it feels that way. As I read about the wounded veterens returning from two failing wars, my heart breaks for those family members who were just getting by and now have lifetime responsibilities dealing former soldiers with brain injuries, post traumatic stress disorder, or other conditions that will prevent them from having a normal life themselves with those who love them.

Folks here know that I'm rarely away from home for more than a few hours at a time. In fact, if my wife's daughter hadn't agreed to spend the weekend at our place, I'd never be able to do something like DemFest. I also have a unique form of therapy for myself for when the stresses of caregiving overwhelm me. I can take my guitar into the subway and scream at the world for a couple of hours, and this has kept me balanced through the years.

I've heard about the ways that our veterens are being screwed nine ways to Sunday by the greedy cowards that sent them off to fight their war crime. Men and women who have sacrificed so much are being screwed out of their rightful benefits. They return home and for many, their middle class existence is a thing of the past and a wife or husband, parent or sibling is now faced with the double hardship of caring for a severely disabled person at home and trying to keep the roof over their heads, or their children in school.

If only this great nation could provide for these caregivers with the same benefits we afford to foster parents, we could lift some of the burdens that they bear, and even help to keep these families in tact. The cost to the system for home care by a family member is far less than care in a nursing facility, and far less than that of sending someone from an agency. A way should be found to share the cost saving with the overstressed, burned out and forgotten people who are in fact on the frontlines for those who cannot otherwise help themselves.

H/T Time Magazine

Jackie "Mom's" Mabley used to say that you should never say anything about someone who died, unless you can say something good.

Well, Jerry Fallwell's Dead.

Good.

(Doesn't the Bible say something about being judged by our "Fruits?")

Planting a Seed

Back in 2003, someone had an idea for a get together called "DEANSTOCK," which was billed as "Three days of music, fun and Howard Dean." This crazy idea later morphed into DemocracyFest, and although I didn't get to the first one, this year I'm going, and I'll be performing at The Blogger's Breakfast.

Last night I ordered the T shirt pictured above for the event and I hope that it will plant a seed in the minds of the party activists: Put these two men in the White House for eight years and America has the chance to reclaim it's rightful place in the 21st Century.

That would be a Deaniac dream come true.

Influence Peddling

Many years ago, around the time I started performing in the subway, I began an experiment to see if I was able to have any effect. After all, I was playing music in one of the the world's great cities, and thousands of diverse people from all over the world were hearing me every day. In fact, a fellow performer noted to me once that just performing three hours a day downstairs, one could easily be heard by a million people a year.

When I heard this I began to see this street music thing as something that could make a difference. To test my theory, I would close each set when the trains arrived by saying "Have a wonderful day." Several years later, Dan Rather was saying it at the end of his nightly newscast. I have no way of knowing how the phrase made it that far up the food chain, but I was floored when I heard him say it.

My work often has me in diverse parts of New York City. From the financial district of Wall Street, to as far North as East 96th St in Manhattan, and as far south as Park Slope and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn. Prior to 9/11 I performed at least once a week at Prince St in Soho. Many times over the years folks have come up to me and declared that my performance 'made their day' or that I had sung their favorite song just when they needed to hear it.

I'll probably never know the extent of the influence I've had on my audiences over the years. However, while playing with my new Gizmo this week, I discovered that the heart adjusts its rhythms to the tempo of whatever music a person is listening to. I've probably known this on some instinctual level all along, but it was fascinating to see it proven right here on my computer screen, and it affected how I view the work I do. For now I know that just by singing Love songs I've changed the rhythms of millions of hearts from all around the world, if even for a couple of minutes.

When Pope John Paul II visited here and said mass in Central Park, he quoted St. Augustine when he said, "To sing once is to pray twice."

To quote Dan Rather quoting me, "Have a wonderful day!"

Gizmo, Whizbang and Me: Week 1

I've learned a lot this week in my studies, and I'm going to try to relate it on a personal level without it sounding like a commercial. I have called my new gizmo the "Bliss-O-Matic" and there is no point in recommending it until such a purpose is realized. Yet this is a journey of self discovery and it seems fitting that I chart my progress.

During the past eight days, I've not been able to play the game as much as I would have liked, and I've been slowly trying to adjust my schedule so that I could have more time at it. I've been hooked up to the game controller for a total of two hours, and frankly it's kinda like using a HAM Radio to contact someone speaking another language.

I have never been good at things like Transcendental Meditation, because whenever I'd try to quiet my mind through the use of the mantra, it would be flooded with the most obscure thoughts. Just when I thought I was making progress at finding that inner stillness, I'd hear that small voice:

"Did you lock the door?" "Remember that day with your cousin when you were a kid?"

Fuggeddedaboutit.

Geez, no wonder folks have to sit in caves for years just to try to turn the mind off long enough for the heart to provide any kind of insight. So the first thing I learned about playing the game was that watching and concentrating on the butterfly on the screen tended to be the mind distraction that I needed. I've learned to simply follow the butterfly as it moves. In this way I can let my heart guide my meditation as if it were my own private Guru, and in just a short time I was beginning to feel the subtle changes that begin when I 'follow my heart,' so to speak.

This week, I've been concentrating on what the inventor calls "Harmonic Inclusiveness." I've learned to follow the peaks on the graph and how to increase the peaks when they occur. It is said that as you increase the height of the peaks, you are opening yourself up, so that the same harmonic frequencies can enter from outside of yourself, creating a kind of vortex of concentric waves folding in on each other.

Yet probably the most profound thing that happened this week, was that as I was out doing my normal routines, I was slowly becoming aware of the peaks that I see on the screen, even when I'm not playing the game, and I can also feel myself trying to increase them.

This is what the inventor calls "Recursion" or "Self Referencing," and it will be the focus of my studies in the coming week.

One more thing: I typed this post while hooked up to the game and in spite of the movement of my hands, the program continued to display a 'clean' reading. I'm impressed.

Wow

Well, of all the time I've had my gizmo up and functioning, I've spent about 3 dedicated hours with the electrodes on and looking at the screens. The most important of which is the "Internal Coherence" measurement that powers the 'Butterfly Game.'

The game is based on the premise that the harmonics of the heart tend to rest in one of three emotional ratios. The Ratio in the area of .6hz on the scale indicates touch receptiveness. This is the frequency that one gets when experiencing a hug, for example.

At the other end of the emotional scale is 1.16hz. When your harmonics are rested here you are said to be more 'concept inclusive' and less 'touchy-feely.'

In the center of these is .8hz. Resting your harmonics here is said to indicate a 'peaceful balence' between the others.

The first object of the game is to find out where your harmonics naturally are on the graph, and after a few moments mine rested at about .7hz, with the peak moving up and down to indicate the overall strength of the signal. The first thing that I learned from this is that if you see a subtle emotional peak coming on you can try to catch and increase the peak, like a wave in virtually real time. This was quite a revelation.

The second part of the game is where the wellness training starts. I was amazed that my .6hz peaks were almost off the scale, and I feel really good about that. But the second point of the game is not only to learn to move the butterfly up and down at your favorite resting place, but also how to move the the butterfly from left (.6hz) to right (1.6hz). The ability to move left/right is what the medical community calls Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and is widely recognized as a remarkable indicator of overall health.

So it seems as I begin my studies in earnest, as I learn HRV I will also be learning to turn Compassion into Concept.

Finally, as you can see in the picture, two people can play this game at the same time, and when the their butterflies touch, their hearts are singing in unison.

I find this all fascinating.

Happy Birthday Al

The Amazing Alex Grey

There is a very special museum space here in New York City called The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. It presents the mind of a unique artist named Alex Grey. As I wait to open my research next weekend, I invite you to explore this amazing website.

Namaste

Subway

Obama Gropes Hillary

This recently released AP photo shows the Presidential Candidate from Ill Noise seizing the right breast of the clearly enthralled Candidate form Liebermanville at an unknown event.

While both of their campaings are trying to distance themselves from the encounter, sources close to Hillary's camp have quoted her as saying, "Once you Barak, you'll never go back!"

The iRack

BEWARE MY POWER!

My Power Battery ...um... Dharshanitron... um... Bliss-O-Matic ...um ...Heart Tuner arrived on Friday evening (batteries not included) and I have sent away for the authorization codes which should arrive Monday Morning. The wrist and head bands which the manufacturer forgot to include will be here in a few days.

So this is the first update of my new journey. Having gone through the instruction manuals, I've concluded, and the inventor seems to concur, that Heaven on Earth is going to simply be a change in perspective from mind based thought, to heart based coherent emotion. It sounds really simple when all that needs to be done is to teach the children (and adults) how to find their inner "EUREKA!" (and learn to sustain it)

Imagine if you will, an EKG machine in your doctor's office that is so sensitive that it can not only tell when you smile, (by reading the harmonic frequency) but how deep the feeling was that caused the smile in the first place (by reading the amplitude of the frequency).

On Monday, when I get to open the programs for the first time while hooked up to the pre-amp, I'm going to try this simple experiment:

I'm starting by listening to two distinct pieces of my favorite music through headphones. One piece is very romantic and usually brings me close to tears whenever I listen to it. The second will be selections from a concert by The Who on "The King Biscuit Flower Hour" from 1973. I get a distinct rush whenever I hear Keith Moon on the drums that is quite different from the compassion rush I get listening to love songs.

I have no doubt that the gizmo will record the differences in harmonic frequencies between the two feelings. My experiment will be repeating the process to see if I can conciously increase the peaks of the rushes, like a surfer trying to catch just the right curl of an incoming wave.

Beyond this initial experiment, just learning to use the software will be interesting. I have to learn all of the readings of the main screen for my clinical studies. Then there's the Heart Music Synthesizer, six cardio-feedback games and something that teaches a breathing method that helps the heart re-learn to sing at it's full harmonic range. Not to mention music that replaces missing harmonics in the heart, lost to depression or despair...

Once upon a time I was an ocean
But now I'm a mountain range
Something unstop-able
Set into motion
Nothing is different
But everything is changed.
-Paul Simon-

Subway

White Powder Mailed To Edwards HQ

ANTHRAX!

Kinda Says It All, Ya Think?

(h/t Firedoglake)

WASHINGTON, NYTimes March 14 — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton foresees a “remaining military as well as political mission” in Iraq, and says that if elected president, she would keep a reduced but significant military force there to fight Al Qaeda, deter Iranian aggression, protect the Kurds and possibly support the Iraqi military.

Gee, and I thought we were liberating Iraq so that they could be a free and sovereign nation, capable of standing on their own and taking their rightful place in the world. I thought we went into Afghanistan to catch Ossama bin Buggin'. War without end for oil? I think they should all drive out to Phuqem Mall and have a big frosty mug of STFU.

Tacoma Police Gas Peaceful Protesters

America the Beautiful? As if The People aren't pissed off enough by that pack of war criminals in the White House, now police in riot gear are gassing our neighbors for refusing to put up with this war crime any longer.

Ya really don't want to make gentle people angry. It foments violent revolution.

Hillary's Campaign Responds:

"NOT OBAMA!"

Vermont Votes To Impeach!

"We the people have the power -- and the responsibility -- to remove executives who transgress not just the law, but the rule of law.

The oaths that the President and Vice President take binds them to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." The failure to do so forms a sound basis for articles of impeachment.

The President and Vice President have failed to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution" in the following ways:

1. They have manipulated intelligence and misled the country to justify an immoral, unjust, and unnecessary preemptive war in Iraq.

2. They have directed the government to engage in domestic spying without warrants, in direct contravention of U.S. law.

3. They have conspired to commit the torture of prisoners, in violation of the Federal Torture Act and the Geneva Convention.

4. They have ordered the indefinite detention without legal counsel, without charges and without the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention -- all in violation of U.S. law and the Bill of Rights.

When strong evidence exists of the most serious crimes, we must use impeachment -- or lose the ability of the legislative branch to compel the executive branch to obey the law.

George Bush has led our country to a constitutional crisis, and it is our responsibility to remove him from office."

-The People of Vermont-

Merry Fitzmas to All!

In all their deeds
Spin spin spin
There is a Treason
Spin spin spin
And assigned
to when they usurp us
Obfuscation

Ram-Alam-Obama-Lama-Ding-Dong...

You saw it here first.

Update:

Demitrius saw this and added:

Who put the "Rock" in Barak-arack-arack?
Who put the "Bam" in Obama-lama-ding-dong."

lmao.

Update II: Hillary's campaign responds...

When Inner-Space Meets Cyber-Space

I have a friend at HowardEmpoweredPeople who goes by the blog name of 'listener.' Last week she asked me to define what I mean by Ascension, and pointed out that to many people, Ascension has religious overtones that are apocalyptic.

The Ascension of which I speak is a global Awakening to a potential that humankind, for one reason or another, has so far kept deeply hidden. The cynic might say that Religion has kept this potential away from the rest of us for selfish gain. They barred the door to the treasures of Eternal Knowledge and suffered not even the willing to enter in. Though I would say that most religions have simply forgotten over the span of time.

Today higher states of awareness seem to come to those with the time to meditate in the ancient traditions. These folks spend years and even lifetimes seeking the Bliss that comes from touching the Unconditional Love of the Universal Heart.

One of the things I'm looking forward to when I get my new gizmo is joining one of the several 'user groups' that have sprung up recently. Serious experiments are underway to "link hearts in a phase lock, in a chat like environment." I have no idea how something like that works, but I guess I'm about to learn. When it can be demonstrated on a wide scale that hearts can be linked in this way, I think folks are going to sit up and take notice.

It kinda takes me back to "Star Trek The Movie." In the end, all that we learned of the physical Universe merged with the heartfelt focused intent of Consciousness and created a new, transcendent life form. In the next decade, it seems to me that the lines between the Inner-Space of the HeartSoul, and the Cyber-Space of ones and zeros will begin to blur.

Most religions speak of profound change in these times. Christians say that Jesus is coming. I think it would be a nice surprise if we met him half way.

For your Sunday morning relaxation, Radio Sri Chinmoy presents music by Shindhu.

Namaste,

Subway

Love One Another As Love Has Loved You.

(h/t watertiger)

The Fractal Heartbeat of Community

It took 34 years, but this week my dream of a lifetime came true. Back before even ConSec was born, I hoped this time would arrive with all my heart, and at last it has arrived.

Back in 1973 a friend of mine stopped by with something called a 'Bio-feedback' unit. It was slightly larger than what was then a portable cassette player with wires and electrodes connected. The concept behind it was that in meditation, your brain produces Alpha waves that promote relaxation. So while hooked up to the electrodes, if your brain produced an Alpha wave the device would register it with a 'click.'

After spendng a half hour hooked up to this new thingie, I made it click 4 times, and I said to my friend, "Rather than making the machine clicks when you produce the right wave, you'll need to eventually have a unit that teaches you how to 'click' it. And when that happens you'll have Heaven on Earth."

The unit I spoke of way back then, is arriving in the mail from The Netherlands in a couple of weeks with complete instructions on how to operate it even in a clinical setting. Right now, I feel like I've been accepted into the Jedi Academy or the Green Lantern Corps.

Frankly I owe it in large measure to the Progressive Community that opened their hearts with prayers and kind words last August, in what was probably my darkest hour.

Thank you one and all.

Here are some Sunday music samples from Yaatri

Namaste

A Brokeback Mountain of Lies

My questions about 9/11 haven't been answered yet. Have yours?

Courtesy Of Radio Sri Chinmoy

When I perform in the subway, people often approach me and ask, "Why don't you sing about Jesus?" So I turn them around and have them look at the people on the platform. There's a beautiful Muslim family passing by. A few yards away, a Hasidic man is talking to his wife. A lesbian couple I know walks past and waves and their young son says he saw me on tv. Each time a train leaves, the platform fills again with all different kinds of people who quite frankly don't need to be preached at by the likes of me, The Worlds Best Sinner.

What could I possibly say to a Muslim or Jew or B'hai that would turn them to Jesus anyway? How could I possibly say it in the space between trains? Why would I want to intrude on such personal matters in public?

But I have a secret.

My work over the past 20 odd years has been a ministry. You see, I'm not kidding when I say that Love Is God. Christians I say this to call it a syntax error, but I know better. Ever since I touched the Love that Knows no Comprehension (or when the Radiant Is touched me) it occasionally pours itself into me like a waterfall and I'm forced to give it away in tiny thimbles called "songs." It's a maddening task that seems to be never ending, but it seems if I stop I'll drown in Love. So I pour a thimble or two on a few hundred hearts, knowing that in most cases, folks won't realize what I did to them until after they've left the station. Over time, I've built an underground Cathedral where music helps to heal the investment banker, the school teacher, the immigrant laborer, the Christian, the Muslim, the old Spanish Catholic lady who loves Julio Iglesias...

Today I'd like to present some beautiful music written by Sri Chinmoy, performed by musicians from Russia. Folks who think like Pat Robertson think Sri Chinmoy is going to hell for not accepting Christ as his personal savior, so I figured I'd give him some props while he's still around. You can download the entire album here, or if you dialup, you can download individual tracks here.

Music reaches into places in the heart where words cannot reach.

Namaste,

Subway

A Valentine One In A Million!

My Valentine agrees.

Rudy? FUGGEDABOUTIT!

Message to Republican campaign contributers: Please waste your money on the Fascist pictured above. His candidacy is going nowhere. You may think he was America's mayor, but NOBODY likes him. He brought his mistress home to Gracie Mansion WHEN HIS WIFE AND KIDS WERE THERE! He wears Bernard Kerik around his neck like a millstone.

Rudy Guiliani ruled this town like a petty, mean spirited dictator. Imagine Dick Cheney on steroids. But I digress...

My Country is headed in a different direction. The people have spoken, and the days of Neocon Goperism are coming to an end. The American People have come to take their country back.

So pour your millions down this black hearted rat hole, Republicans. At least Democrats will treat you better when you're homeless. I'll stop ranting before I say what I really feel...

Jock Cooper's "Fractal Recursions"

There are 29 Fractal Animations at Jock Cooper's website available for free download. If you download all of them to your computer, then "select all" and play in your favorite media player, as I did this week, you will enjoy an enormous treasure of mind blowing digital artistry. I know it's a little work for a Sunday Morning, but it will be well worth the effort.

(Hint: Best viewed in "Full Screen" mode.)

Enjoy!

Astral Music For A Sunday Morning

I found this by accident and thought I'd share. This is the type of stretching of the boundaries of awareness that I'm so excited about. Here are some of the free tracks from his website.

Inner Planes

Music for Healing

Music for Ascension

As you rise to this beautiful Sunday Morning, enjoy these wonderful musical treasures.

Namaste.

When I'm Rich And Famous...

I want a Box of Miracles and One of These.

An Unsuspecting Child...

The Box Of Miracles

This device proves that the human heart can be used as a game controller. When this technology is incorporated into popular commercial gaming systems, folks will begin to unlock their Eternal Nature.

So when your kids start blinking into other dimensions, don't say I didn't warn you.

A Map of the Internet

When it's finished. It should look like "Angel Trumpets!"

The above view shows that Cyberspace is a Fractal. Why am I not surprised?

The "Love Songs From Ground Zero" CD: Order Now!

An excellent gift for those special people who you know will enjoy something completely different. This CD includes "Red Line Blues," "Goper's Lament," "The Disney Protest Song" and "The Gift A True Story of the Holidays." Only 100 CDs have been pressed for a limited Holiday offering, so please order this unique experience today!

Then come to the thread below for some real Holiday Activism!

A Christmas Card To The World

The Gift
A True Story Of The Holidays
by David Teller

Dear Friends,

As you may know, I'm a musician in the New York City Subway. In September of 1994, I wrote a story intended as a Christmas card to the friends that I had met while working at the stations in and around what is now called "Ground Zero." Over time, folks have encouraged me to get the story published.

I know nothing of publishing, so I decided instead to treat myself and present it as a Holiday greeting to people in the world whose work I respect and admire.

I hope this story touches your heart, as mine has been touched by the many friendships that inspired it, and in that spirit, I hope you'll pass it along to everyone you know.

May the Love that knows no Comprehension find rest in your hearts and in your homes this Holiday Season.

Please open "The Gift"

BTW:

"The Gift" is freely given.

Contributions to the Author are greatly appreciated.

Sounds Like A Plan...

Click the title for more from jc's designs!

Howard Empowered Since 2003

A Surprise Gift From A Complete Stranger

A young man named Rick Uhl saw "Goper's Lament" posted at The Huffington Post and sent me this video from YouTube. This thing is a hoot!You can see the video by clicking the title.

Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts appear out of nowhere. I hope you enjoy this and pass it along to your friends.

While I Was Away III: Gathered Angels

I don't think I could have looked any worse. Four days after surgery, in a hospital, hooked up to 3 IVs, a realtime EKG and tubes coming out of God knows where. I think that even for the happiest guy on Earth I had reached a low I hadn't expected. For the first time in my life I felt old and not only sick, but infirm. It was really the first day that I really started coming back from the anesthesia. All I could think about as the tv droned on aimlessly was that what I was feeling at that time, was the rest of my life was going to look pretty much like this. except I'd be at home. I don't know what put the idea in my head, but it seemed as though life as I had known it was over.

There was a sadness that comes in the serenety of realizing your job is done. Long ago when I first brought my guitar to the Staten Island Ferry, someone complimented me by saying that I had made their day and to be able to do such a thing is a great gift. In a purely off hand reply, I smiled and said, "Then I won't stop 'till the whole world smiles."

From that moment on I sang and played as if every heart that heard me was like a tiny pebble cast into the middle of a still pond all its own, sending just a few quiet ripples all the way to it's outer banks. Millions of ripples later (Oh if ripples were dollars!) reality said that I was hanging up my guitar and going home just to try not to be a burden to my wife for the remainder of my time here.

Somewhere in me grew a slow and steady panic at the thought of becoming dependent on one who, less than a week earlier, was far more disabled then I'd ever thought of being. The thought of going home began to frighten me, as each thought made me feel more hopeless. Sitting in my chair I felt I should just give up right then and there.

As fate would have it, at about that moment three smiling women entered the room. Part of me thought I was dreaming. Part of me thought I was delusional from being awake under sedation for at least 18 hours. It was Puddle, Agatha and Thankful, (Who, by the way has a great deal of healing energy in her hands!) and it was clear to me that they had brought the affection of the entire community with them, Their hugs were those of cherished friends.

All at once, my Hospital room was transformed into a Deaniac Convention Hall. I remember joking to myself " When two or more are gathered in Dean's name the whole community is there. I told them that ConSec let me know that Renee put up an internet Get Well card and a bunch of people sent their regards. We talked about Francine Busby's loss in court over what should have been a slamdunk recount ruling. We talked about Ned Lamont, and I told them that I wanted to get involved in unseating Vito Fossella, another Goper rubber stamp running as an "Independent Fighter." Within 10 minutes I felt like I had come alive again, and I was itching to get back in the fight.

These three "Dean's Angels" were only permitted to stay for half an hour, but ended up stealing an additional 30 minutes. Near the end of the visit, Thankful came around to rub my shoulders and I let my entire being drift into her fingers all the while. When she stopped and they gathered up to leave, I was ready to go with them. But then I remembered all the tubes and wires I was connected to and realized I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. As it turned out it was September 24 before I was able to leave, only to return 5 days later to the ICU because of abnormalities in my blood work. My final release was on Oct 4.

Have no doubt, my dear friends that the Compassion of the Community was carried on the wings of these three Angels, and it gave me the strength and encouragment I needed to get through quite an ordeal and get home. I'm even beginning to hear my guitar call to me from its little corner of my room. Thank you one and all! (Click the title)

Deaniacs Rock The Nation!

While I Was Away II: Renee's Candle

ATrue Story of Community

On the Morning of August 23, a friend came to visit. When I opened the door, she looked at me and gasped.

"David," she said in suprise, "your eyes are all yellow. you better get to a doctor." I invted her in and asked that she have a seat. Thinking it might be a joke, I went into the bathroom and looked in mirror. She was RIGHT! Holy...um...SHIRT! So I got dressed to go out and immediately went to the Emergency Room. By the next day, I was told that I was to have a pancreatic biopsy and some kind of major surgery. The biopsy came back negative but the surgery went forward.

As I unpacked in my hospital room I began to realize I'd probably be sidelined for most of the campaign season. After all, I have as have all of us, been waiting since July of 2002 to see some concrete results in our efforts to take our country back. We all know that Howard Dean leads this Party, and the Democratic Leadership Council can kick and scream all it wants. Facts are facts. Howard Dean is at the helm and the lot of this community is cast to stand with him. Now was the time to see if our work, all of the progressive efforts from grassroots to netroots put enough feet on the ground to regain the Congress, and I wasn't gonna be there.

So I called my son, whom folks know as Conspiracy Secretary here in blogspace, and asked that he write to the blogs and let them know I'd be away for a while. Not long afterward, word reached Renee and Demitrius (of "Soylent Dean" fame) at Howard Empowered People and within what looks like less than an hour Renee had set up a Virtual Candle as a focus for the community to send positive energy, prayers and Compassionate feelings in my direction. Notices of the candle were posted by Renee to Firedoglake, My Left Wing, Blogforamerica, Booman Tribune and DailyKos.

After I came home from the hospital, I found a huge outpouring of thoughts and prayers from all over the progressive blogsphere. There were in time, over a hundred messages wishing me well and urging my return to work and good health. But for me it was more than just the words of support. While I was in the hospital, I felt many hearts in this wonderful community come together in Compassion and it filled my heart when I was feeling down.

It is just this sharing of Focused Compassion in action that drew me to Howard Dean's campaign way back in July of 2002. I knew if I put my heart into it, thousands of caring individuals would be doing the same with me, and it was true. While I was singing, Teri was working on the National Nurse Resolution, Linda was putting together a cookbook for the Harkin Steak Fry, Renee and Demitrius were doing graphics, and we were giving it all we could. We became a community, and when we gathered together from across the country and beyond, it was as if were gathered in Dean's living room.

Now in 2006, over the past month or so, the far flung community gathered together to pray for the Court Jester. I just want you all to know that I felt it, it sustained me and I was deeply moved by the outpouring. Click the title and see for yourselves.

May the Love that knows no Comprehension find refuge in your hearts and in your homes forever.

Namaste,

Subway

While I was Away...

On August 30 I was admitted to Staten Island University Hospital for a pancreatic biopsy and a subsequent surgical procedure called a "Whipple." I guess it had something to do with squeezing my Charmin'. Much of what happened to me between the surgery and Sept. 12 is a blur due to heavy sedation, but I'm told I was rather difficult to deal with. The following two weeks was spent conscious and semi sedated, (Morphene is your friend.) my first really sentient recolection being that the TV in my room was tuned to Fox News. So my friends can begin to realize how important Renee's virtual candle was in channeling all your thoughts and prayers.

As Teri, my National Nurse can attest, when you wake up from major surgery, the medical staff likes to get a grasp on how far back to reality you've come on a regular basis. At the beginning of every shift they would ask me if I knew what month or day it was. Most of them would ask if I could name the current President. Folks should know better than to ask Subway a loaded question like that, especially when I'm being held on Morphene under the Mandatory Sedation Act. Here are some examples of these exchanges:

Q. Do you know who the President is?

A. Sure. That's Dick Cheney's sock puppet, um what's his name...?

Q. Do you know who the President is?

A. Oh I know. His father trained Ossama bin Laden... Name rhymes with tush...

Q. Do you know who the President is?

A. You mean that lyin' sack o...

All in good fun, mind you. Which brings me to the topic of the day:

Nurses.

I spent more than three weeks in the Intensive Care Unit and got a rare opportunity to watch the half dozen or so nurses who saw to my every need. Thinking of Teri Mills, who had advanced the idea of a National Nurse during the Howard Dean campaign, I saw that these dedicated medical professionals, these Caregivers needed a voice equal to that of the Surgeon General, to oversee this country's vast post doctor treatment delivery systems.

Many of my friends in the politblogs know that I've been a caregiver for nearly 2 decades. During that time I've seen many hundreds of others who care for disabled loved ones at home. Those who do so should be compensated in much the same way as those folks who care for foster children. Such folks are quite rightly treated generously by government because it's very cost effective in the long run to place these children in stable homes. Similarly, in most cases, caring for a disabled relative at home costs far less than having that same person in a nursing facility. Yet the caregiver shares in virtually none of the cost savings and in many cases handles the burdens alone. Imagine a single mom with a disabled pre teen, or the one with two kids and a disabled brother. Many of our veterens will come home to families that will care for their injuries and disability for life. Some wife or husband or parent is struggling tonight between putting food on the table and caregiving.

We need a National Nurse to not only speak as one voice for all the caregivers, professionals and family members alike, to help the states formulate policies that lift these families up. We need a National Nurse to stem our terrible shortage of Nurses. Someone who will reach out to the high schools across the country to encourage young people into the nursing and caregiving professions. Someone who will advocate for better pay and lower stress levels for nurses.

Most of the nurses in ICU worked 12 hour shifts four days a week and here in NY nurses are unionized which is a great place to start. After a while I could see signs of emotional fatigue and caregiver burnout even in these seasoned pros. A National Nurse can work with states to develope policies that address overstressed nursing staffs.

Every surgeon needs a nurse. So does the Surgeon General.

(H/T to Oscar at HEP.)

Bush Gives Head Of State...

Busby/Bilbray CA 50 Hand Recount: w00t!

Filed by Brad Friedman from San Diego…

In a harshly worded statement, the DNC's Voting Rights Institute has issued a statement condeming the adminstration of the recent U.S. House race between Democrat Francine Busby and Republican Brian Bilbray joining a growing national outcry in calling for "a swift and verifiable 'manual count' of all 150,000 ballots cast in California's 50th District's 'bellwether' June 6th special election."

"This is no longer about whether or not Busby or Bilbray won the election on June 6th," the just-issued statement reads, "This is about the importance of verifying the facts related to election and voting machine irregularities in this race and the need to ensure an accurate count of all votes cast in this election so that the electorate may have confidence in the announced results in future elections."

The long-awaited announcement of a position on the matter by the DNC comes at the end of more than a month of outrage from both national and state election integrity organizations, many of whom have declared "No Confidence" in the reported results of the race held to replace jailed Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Bilbray declared himself the winner on election night, and was sworn into office several days later before all votes had been counted and nearly three weeks prior to the election being certified by either state or county officials.

Bush Jokes During Visit to Germany

July 13, 2006 - President laughs about roast pig, leading the band, and a historic church

STRALSUND, Germany (AP) - President Bush was high on the hog in Germany.

Even before he sat down for dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bush commented again and again on how much he looked forward to the 65-pound wild boar that was on the menu.

"I understand I may have the honor of slicing the pig," Bush told Merkel during opening remarks at a news conference Thursday.

One German reporter asked Merkel about violence in the Middle East, then asked Bush for his impressions of the region - aside from the pig. Bush cut Merkel off.

"I haven't seen the pig yet," he said with a chuckle, then apologized to Merkel for interrupting. She said she hoped it was already roasting, with six hours until dinner time.

And when a U.S. reporter asked for a follow-up, Bush seemed disappointed by the topic: Iran.

"I thought you were going to ask me about the pig," he said.

Thank You Jane Hamsher

Last night I recieved a rather remarkable gift from Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake. As folks know, whenever I post at the Progressive Blogs, I usually post a link to one of my songs as my personal "message in a bottle." I know some folks are annoyed by this, but one never knows when a funny song or a Love song can catch just one person at just the moment when it's really needed. Last night on my way to bed, I tossed a one liner into a thread about Ned Lamont at FDL and added a link to my Lee Greenwood sendup, as I did at Huffpo, ThinkProgress and Bradblog.

Bradblog, btw is doing some REALLY great work on the Busby/Bilbray CA:50 HAND RECOUNT that will tear the roof off...But I digress...

Literally ready to sign off, I passed by FDL again to see if the Lamont thread was going to be busy. Scrolling down I found that Jane heard the song and had a really good laugh. Good enough apparently that she linked it in the main post. Now, from my computer, (God Bless Broadband!) I had seen Jane at the YearlyKos, chairing the panel with Joe Wilson and Murray Waas. This married grandfather will testify that Jane Hamsher is SMOKIN'!

So I logged out and went to sleep. It was nice to know that I made such an important person smile. But when I logged back on in the morningI had quite a shock. Between 11pm and 4am "Goper's Lament" had been downloaded over 1000 times. It seems that for the first time since I posted my podcast, by 11pm tonight, Folks will have downloaded 2 Gigabytes of music from my website in a single day.

Thanks Jane, I'm glad I got the chance to make you laugh.