This is the fourth---and worst---completely unnecessary major regional blackout in this country in forty years, dating back to 1965. 

It's scope---from Detroit to Ottawa to New York and New Jersey---is absolutely awesome, especially since it's due to total stupidity and corruption.

This does not count the blackouts that raged through California in 2000-2001.  Those were "blackmails," set by Enron and the other Bush gas cronies to rip $60 billion out of the state, leading to, among other things, the impending ouster of Gov. Gray Davis.  

When the lights went out, Davis kissed the feet of Southern California Edison's John Bryson, who engineered a deregulation bill that gouged $30 billion out of the ratepayers for the state's failed nukes.  That opened the gates for the gas pirates to steal yet another $60 billion.  Davis got caught in the backdraft.

The culprits in this latest northeastern disaster are basically the same---the barons of fossil and nuclear power and their cronies in the electric utility business.  

Their "weapon" is an ancient electric grid that's obsolete if not obscene.  

Contrary to media cliches about “the silly season,” this is a time of very serious -- and probably catastrophic -- political maneuvers.

     From California to the U.N. building in New York City to the sweltering heat of Iraq, the deadly consequences of entrenched power are anything but humorous.

     Can you remember watching a movie when some calamity is happening on the screen, and laughter ripples across the darkened theater? You might wonder why people are chuckling at the grievous misfortunes of others. To comfortable viewers, a disaster can seem quite amusing.

     The market is hot for Hollywood extravaganzas that fill screens at multiplexes. The spectacles of high-tech weapons and cinematic bloodshed are experienced as just so much viewing pleasure. The unreality, we’re told, is just for diversion -- people understand the difference between movie posturing and the real world.

     But this summer, news outlets are agog with real-life versions of what could be called “Pulp Nonfiction.”

     Of course there are plenty of assurances that people with power,

AUSTIN, Texas -- Hang in there, Texas Eleven. You are not forgotten.

            Gov. Goodhair Perry says the AWOL senators are holding up "issues of great importance to the people of Texas." That's funny. There has been one and only one item of business on the agenda for both special sessions called by the guv (at a cost of $1.7 million each): the crass rejiggering of congressional distric lines in order to elect more Republicans out of Texas. Using taxpayer money for partisan political purposes, period.

            Really Bad Idea of the Week: Attorney General John Ashcroft is now investigating judges. He is requiring prosecutors to report cases where the judge hands down sentences that are less than the federal guidelines suggest. This is part of a concerted effort by both Congress and the Justice Department (part of the executive branch) to pressure judges to follow rigid sentencing guidelines. When last consulted, the Constitution still said there are three co-equal branches of government -- the executive is not assigned to intimidate the judiciary.

            Federal guidelines establish a range of sentences for particular

Time's running out on death row
The masses need appeased
Appeals and pleas have all run out
The family's running out of sweet money
Money greases the wheels of justice
That's how so many guilty rich slip away
But if you're innocent or poor
There's a higher price you'll have to pay
As the people line up outside the prison
As they wait for the lights to go dim
They say

We got have some closure
Gotta get it anyway we can
Got to find some closure
Got to go kill another man

Life in prison is not good enough
Now we need to see them die
It's been this way since time began
Another eye now for an eye
It doesn't matter that they may be innocent
As long as they are strapped to the bed
As long as they have a vein to shoot up
As long as they end up dead
The death supporters are screaming at the protesters
The facts of the case get lost in the fray
They yell

We got to find some closure
Gotta get it anyway we can
We got to find some closure
Got to go and kill another man

Lesbian Festival is on SEPTEMBER 13, 11 am to 11 pm, at the Frontier Ranch in Kirkersville as it has been for thirteen previous years. Kirkersville is 30 miles east of Columbus in a natural, private setting.

Our MCC (God's Promise of Granville, OH) is sponsoring two workshops.  The first is with presenter and writer Donna Brooks on being single and staying sane . There will be an opportunity to meet all the other singles who come to this!  We also will have a "singles' dating service," for the day at our booth!  The other workshop is for people already in relationships. Believe it or not, we will learn about  the support for, and healing of, our relationships,  found in the Bible, both Hebrew and Christian scriptures.