A long cold hinterland winter here in Freestonia doesn’t mean that the fishing stops entirely, but it does slow down, and that means increased exposure to the noisemakers. You know, the ones that force-feed us the narrative of our lives, that thin clammy broth of postures and judgements and cheap shiny plastic crap that we can’t live without. The noise comes from the tubes, the mailbox and the halls of power in 30-second sound bytes and bumper sticker platitudes, telling us what’s important, what should be dismissed with scorn, conveying our targets for rage and humor. Even the goddam Olympic Games, something that’s supposed to celebrate the hard work of dedicated amateurs, shows up shrinkwrapped in disposable computer-animated bubble packaging that’s obviously been designed and focus-grouped years in advance, complete with instant blowdried celebrity hero toys ready for tomorrow’s water cooler worship. Collect ‘em all, $14.99.

(Haha see, Shaun stowed away on Tuesday’s delivery and stocked all this sk8punk stuff in the dead of night, because he’s a subversive nutty scamp®. What can we do? On sale now.)

The noise is the anthem of the Transnational Lizard People, who purely through the power of cash have erased the importance of place, allegiance to country, recognition of borders, and necessity of breathing, eating, drinking and being of this place where we plant our feet. They recognize no law, no neighbor, no change of season or migration. They experience no hunger or sickness or fear. No disaster matters, except as an opportunity to pad those numbers. Their decisions and actions bear no consequence, aside from possibly being hauled before a Congress of their own creatures for an afternoon show trial, let’s get it over with so we can all go get drinks. With any luck they’ll soon have cash-powered spacecraft so they can all lift off and blast each other with beams of numbers that used to represent something of worth, and be free of the bothersome bounds of the human experience. Man, we’re all such a nuisance.

But here’s the thing: we’re not all where we’re supposed to be, fretting over today’s manufactured outrage on one side of an aisle or another, shaking our heads about who’s fucking whom and oh how could he do such a thing? Sometimes we very deliberately dash out of the pasture and do things that the handlers never counted on. See, there are no blue lines on their demographic maps. They can’t conceive of a shade of green in winter-dormant cedar and water that’s deeper than the one in their veins. Eventually we’ll probably be rounded up and put down for the greater good of the herd, but we likely won’t hear them coming.

They’re digging up Shackleton’s Whisky!!

from the same gig… awesome….

the 169% laser awesomnality that is holly golightly and thee brokeoffs with a lil’ number they call “gettin’ high for jesus”

Hackensaw Boys - Gospel Plow

For our homies still left in Michigan…

Farandole. Because it’s the season whether you like it or not, so you might as well hear some good music.

A brainy science guy says it could happen.

Money Quote:

“It is possible to approach 1 million fish. Restored habitat from augmentation is on par with rivers we are studying that have those numbers,” he said. “It is so much different than the status quo. There aren’t hardly any fish in this river and there should be…”…Stanford said the Yakima River was once the primary producer of wild fish in the Columbia River Basin and could be again with additional water….

…He said in addition to water, the river system needs more river side channels and a bigger flood plain, a diversity of fish stocks, and a way to reduce the impacts of commercial fishing in the ocean…

“Take up the White man’s burden –
Send forth the best ye breed –
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild –
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.”

 -Rudyard Kipling “The White Man’s Burden”

Warning thematic and historical convergence straight ahead.

Via the excellent Mine Watch.org, comes the unsurprising revelation that Anglo American (parent company of Northern Dynasty/ Pebble Project) is one of the largest financial supporters of Robert Mugabe, “President” of Zimbabwe. Apparently while the rest of the world is pulling out of Zimbabwe, Anglo American just poured another $400 million into a platinum mine there.

(Cecil Rhodes)

Here’s where the rabbit goes down the hole and we follow. Anglo American also owns a 45% stake in DeBeers Corp, “the Diamonds are forever” jackals. DeBeers also once had a 90% market share of the world’s diamonds, but now trades around 40% of them. The mining firm was started by John Cecil Rhodes in South Africa in 1880 and he did such a great job with exploiting the locals resources, he was granted a charter by the British Government to create his own personal fiefdom, Rhodesia.

Rhodes, who later endowed the Rhode’s Scholarships, said of the British Race “I contend that we are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race.” Clearly this guy thought the non-Anglo incapable of governing themselves.

Eventually Rhodesia, which had an apartheid government that even neighboring white led South Africa eventually declined to support, went through a civil war and transition to majority rule. The nation renamed itself, wait for it, Zimbabwe.

Circling back to Anglo American and the Pebble Mine, the clear imprint of colonialism is inherent in the updated corporate speak of the Project’s, ahem, “Guiding Principals“, which include “Pebble will benefit people. Pebble is for Alaskans” and “Pebble will build sustainable communities”.

It seems that Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carrol has shouldered Rhode’s heavy load of the white man’s burden.

(Meet your new overlord, same as the old one)

(1900 era Pinkertons)

From Save the Wild UP

“Since the shameful decision of Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to approve permits to Kennecott’s controversial nickel sulfide mine on the Upper Peninsula’s Yellow Dog Plains, the opposition has mounted a variety of legal, administrative, and political challenges that have delayed the project. Despite growing public opposition to the project, Kennecott has tried to portray the opposition as an unrepresentative minority. This is exactly what Kennecott tried to do in Ladysmith. In both cases, the tactics of the company divided neighbor against neighbor and split the community into hostile factions.

In Michigan, these tactics have led to a violent assault on Cynthia Pryor’s husband, Robert, while Cynthia was attending a contested case hearing challenging MDEQ’s decision to permit Kennecott’s sulfide mine. He was assaulted by three unknown males in the late hours of the evening at his cabin which is located in a remote area near Big Bay. The three identified themselves by asking if he “was one of those anti-mining guys.” When he asked them to leave they knocked him to the ground and beat him, leaving him unconscious outside in the freezing rain. Cynthia, one of the most outspoken critics of the proposed mine, called the crime “beyond appalling, shocking and distressing – in my mind it is attempted murder. Bob is 60 years old, was attacked by three younger men and left to the elements…The fear and shock reverberating through our small community is something that should make everyone take note. What are the stakes in this project that would lead to such violence against a citizen of this state – unprovoked and at their home?”

Mining companies have increasingly resorted to violent tactics against opponents to mining projects in the Third World, but this is the first instance where pro-mining individuals have used violence to intimidate those who dare criticize ecologically dangerous mining projects in Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota. [Emphasis Added] It is important that bureaucrats, company officials and politicians hear from citizens who are outraged at this assault. Their names and phone numbers are:

Governor Jennifer Granholm 517 373-3400

DEQ Director Steve Chester 517 373-7917

DNR Director Rebecca Humphries 517 373-2329

Jon Cherry – Kennecott Minerals 906 225-5791″