Live, from Crawford. Day 5. Ask me anything.

[brainshrub]

The day started with a miracle and it's going to end with a speech by Joan Baez. (She just walked onto the stage.)

Steve Galendez from TruthOut and Brad Freedman from BradBlog are sitting with me at a large round table in the tent at "Camp Casey II."

I've spent the day washing dishes, shuttling people back and forth between camps, blogging and lugging equipment for Rebecca. (A videographer I'm helping out.)

I'm dehydrated, but I don't know why since I've taken extra care to drink lots of water. With all the exercises and sweating I've done to date, I'll be surprised if I haven't lost at least ten pounds by the time I get back home.

Most people have gone home, there are about 200 people left. In my mind there are four groups of people:

The bliss-ninnies: These are the folks who have just arrived from the road. Most of them are so agog at what they are seeing, and they have so many questions, that they wander around in a state of confused bliss.

The Adjusted: These are activists and citizens who are working hard to pull this off. After you go through the bliss-ninny phase, you get bord pretty quickly without some choir. Eventually everyone goes to the Peace House and is given a responsibility.

The Press: The Corporate Media only stay for a few hours a day, if they come at all. (I saw an AP reporter stop by earlier to talk to Joan Baez.) Indie Media is here, but it's light. I think AAR broadcast from here earlier.

As far as I know, BradBlog, Truthout & Brainshrub are the only serious bloggers here. (Apologies if there are more, but I haven't seen them.)

The moon-bats: I hate to admit it, but we on the Left have nut-balls also. For example, there is a former military guy wandering around trying to convince people that the US govt used neutron bombs in Baghdad.
I'd say there are about 3 "certified" moon-bats here. When there were more people, they blended in with the crowd. Now that the numbers are thinner, their behavior can be a bit disruptive.

###

I will elaborate on this more later, but this whole event is matriarchal. It is being run by mothers, sisters and wives. I suspect this is why everything is running so smoothly.

Decisions are made by formal consensus. I've seen this kind of process before, but it's very advanced here.

###

This post was not edited. (I'm borrowing this computer, so I don't know how much time I can use it.)

[knowbody0]

1. no brag, just the facts

i love it. ninnies and moon bats always show up. quit feeding them and charge for porta pottie time. (just kidding)

peace and love

[Generic Other]

2. Thanks for discussing the matriarchal aspects of this event!

Any news of Cindy?

[brainshrub]

6. It's a very under-reported, yet important, aspect of this gathering.

I promisse to do a more detailed write-up on this before I go home.

[Generic Other]

7. Thanks! And hugs to you all

:grouphug:

[MuseRider]

3. I was a crying ninny at first before I hit bliss!

I never cry but I cried so much when I was there. Then the bliss that did not last too long because we got jobs pretty quickly. I am not sure that the bliss ever went away entirely though.

I can't wait to get back and start from adjusted. Tomorrow! My poor husband will have to start out as a blisser though, that should be fun.

I love what you said about the matriarchal society there. I was astounded by it and of course, being female it felt very comfortable.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

4. No Press, Huh?

<<The Press: The Corporate Media only stay for a few hours a day, if they come at all. (I saw an AP reporter stop by earlier to talk to Joan Baez.) Indie Media is here, but it's light. I think AAR broadcast from here earlier.>>

Doesn't the media even give a damn? This isn't enough news for them? I'm really disgusted with the 100% Conservative media in this country. It is truly pathetic, and is the reason most people don't have a clue what is really going on.

[cliss]

5. Very nice!

Thanks for the update, brainshrub. While it may seem that things are "quiet" DO NOT underestimate the power that this group has.

The protesters are a HUGE thorn in Bush's side right now. Bush has been hiding out. Now, he's on the defensive. Out of desperation, he went to Utah to "drum up support". And believe he, he's not getting a good response.

I would say that STEADY AS SHE GOES is more important than fireworks. As long as this group continues, the house of cards will come down.

[Cleita]

8. Okay, you are right miracles are happening.

So I do have a question. How many Fort Qualis people are out there?

To explain the miracle, my usually apolitical and watches MSM news and believes everything stepdaughter, is actually interested in what is happening outside of the MSM. Since I don't watch it anymore, she told me they were showing the Bush camp all the time on the news that were opposing the Cindy Sheehan camp.

I told her the Cindy camp had three hundred people there easily; They had a huge tent to accommodate everyone; Joan Baez even held a concert there. But as far as I knew there were about six people at the Bush fort. Although, now I am wondering if I'm right.

I am just so pleased that she is finally coming around. She asked me the same question sort of like Cindy did, "Why are we at war with Iraq." I took great pleasure in explaining as simply as I could that a bunch of oil mafioso had taken over and are trying to secure all the oil fields and rule the world. She actually listened for a change, but I didn't want to crowd her with too much information.

Yes, miracles are happening.

[brainshrub]

10. Not many at all.

They are sincere people who love this country more than they hate Liberals... but ultimately the RWers know they are on the wrong side of history on this issue.

If their ideology wasn't so anti-life, I'd almost pity them.

[txindy]

9. Hee Hee

I just finished reading this great post, but I had to burst out laughing at one point: "...you get bord pretty quickly without some choir." I know it's a typo, but my first reaction was of people emerging from their bliss-ninny stage being followed around by choirs! Then they get bored when the choirs move on to the next person!


It's obviously been a much longer day than I thought. I need a LOT of sleep!


Thanks for the report! You always give such good accountings of what's happening. And, no, typos don't bother me. This one just brought up a very vivid image, for some odd reason! One that was rather like a Monty Python movie such as 'Holy Grail' where King Arthur is followed by the minstrel singing pointed songs.

[nofurylike]

11. thank you for this great update! i love that you talk about the

matriarchal process and energy there!


Peace!

[Generic Other]

12. kick

:kick: