Received this from an activist friend from San fran:

Dear Fishy,
The bush fire is a spectacle. Don't believe the hype.

But Kerry sucks too.
Someday it would be refreshing to vote for someone who represented interests i actually believe in and support and still had a chance of winning.
 
I hope you were able to make some good connections while in NYC. if estimates of 500,000 are anywhere near accurate i think that the protests were worth it. the accomplishments are usually hard to measure. in a way we succeeded not so much by what we did, but by what we didn't. what we didn't give them was the photo op of "chaos in the streets" they would have liked to use against kerry. we were able to gather in numbers unprecedented in the history of protests of political conventions. it was a good chance for different groups mobilizing against bush to network and meet face to face. the real results will come nov. 2, when and if the elections take place. if bush wins, there's likely to be a global outcry of disgust and mourning. the streets will be filled with pissed off people for sure. if kerry wins, great, but there still needs to be as many people as possible demanding that he actually make real shit happen and steer this nation towards a more functional democracy. otherwise we can expect the same bullshit as before but with a seemingly more benign approach.

I’ll make sure to say hey to Red for you.

Be well my rockstar friend,
Renegade
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They beheaded another hostage today in Iraq. Our hearts mourn and suffer. we watched the video for a few seconds till we couldn’t take it anymore. Nauseous, disgusted. There is something inhuman and un-natural about this action if it is truly real. Many claim that it is not real. That it is propaganda by the us government. Of course we can never be sure. But let us assume that it is real. They aren't beheading people like you would think. they are slowly cutting their heads off. It is awful. It is so disgusting, unfathomable and inhuman that as lance told me today, ‘we are not fighting modern human beings here. they are so barbaric with the way that they treat their women and this beheading thing they are doing... they are from another time, like Vikings or something, like the Goths, or some barbaric tribes from thousands of years ago... we have no idea what we have gotten ourselves into. sure we defeated Saddam and his little army. That was a no brainer. But will we ever win Iraq? At this point no one knows. all we do know is that it is a lot worse today than it was a year ago. Will the country or its people or us for that matter ever be safe? We need to send more troops over there. unfortunately that seems to be the inevitable answer now that we have stirred up the bees nest. Now more than ever it seems like a hotbed for terrorism and violence.

Over 80 United States contractors have been killed so far over there. media doesn’t talk much about it. But every few days some innocent American hoping for a big payoff gets whacked. That's the risk they take by being over there. its like the devil’s triangle over there right now.

Last night a realtor from nyc kept me on the phone for over an hour attempting to convince me to vote for bush in November. ‘look Fishy, you seem like a smart guy. you remind me of my son. He is in college now in Germany. Don't you see, these people hate us. they have always hated us. they have one goal and that goal is to destroy Israel and to destroy the western world. that has always been their goal. We need to finish this fight once and for all.’ ‘but don't you think that we just made things worse by going over there and invading their country?’ ‘that's what they want you to think Fishy. but don't you believe it for a second. These people hate us and its better that we show them that are going to stand up to them at all costs. This is an important message that we are showing them in modern times. that we are strong and we are going to kick anyone's ass who threatens our way of life or our freedom. Hear me now young man. I really hope I helped get your vote. We need your vote Fishy. the country needs it.’

The truth is that he almost did convince me. Kerry seems so damn convoluted and wishy-washy that frankly having someone as forthright and determined in the office of commander and chief may be what we need right now, even if he appears to be on the surface one of the most unenlightened leaders we have ever had represent us in recent memory... frankly I'm not sure anymore what we need. all I do know is that I just wish all of it would end.

Last screening: Kill Bill 2. fucking unbelievable. First ten minutes is the tensest most engrossing you’ve ever seen. you walk away from this film and you are convinced that you’ve witnessed a master at his art. The guy’s a genius. Face it, he can make some bad movies Dusk till dawn –something like that – dreadful). We all can. but when he's good he's damn good. he's going to make it, going to go all the way.

Current spin: kings of convenience. This is great music. dig it.