Update From Alicia

Hi friends -

Just wanted to let you know that I'm taking a short breather from Hooterville - that is, as far as regular, up-to-date commentary is concerned. This primary has made me feel the need to step back and take a break, as I simply cannot involve myelf in Dem-on-Dem bashing while the criminals who have seized power are continuing to rape this country under the radar. While I'm waiting for news about my book release, I've had to put that on my mental back burner too, as it will drive me crazy otherwise. I'm still staying involved - this morning I have a meeting, along with another PDLA member, with Congressman Brad Sherman to discuss his war funding vote. I will also be a pollworker next Tuesday, and I'm still active with Americans United.

Speaking of criminals who seize power, I'm reading the new book by one of my heroes, Vincent Bugliosi, called The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder. In addition to being the prosecutor who put away Manson and Co. and wrote the best-seller Helter-Skelter about the case, he wrote an outstanding book about how the Supreme Court gave away the Presidency in 2000, The Betrayal of America: How the Supreme Court Undermined the Constitution and Chose Our President. Bugliosi gets it right every single time, and this book is no exception. I feel like crying when I read how clearly, succinctly and inexorably he outlines the case for, not impeachment, but murder. In his usual acerbic, no-nonsense style he makes obvious what we left-wing nutjobs have been screaming about for the last seven-and-a-half years. I wish he was trying it himself, although he has offered to assist any attorney who will take it on.

I'm not gone, so feel free to comment or e-mail me, but I will be taking it easy and recharging my batteries for the fight in the fall - the fight for the future of our democracy. I am going to be all over that like ants on a neckbone, and will continue to keep active in the meantime.

Protest Music 2008

My son interviewed me the other day for a school project. The subject was 'what have you done in your life that you would consider the most meaningful' and my answer was getting active for political change, instead of merely talking about it. He wanted to articulate some of the differences between anti-war activism in the 60's and today. Of course there are a lot of differences; the social and political climate is completely different, as is the fact that the draft is not in effect. But one difference that I noted was the fact that there is not a definite 'protest music' movement like there was in the 60s. There is protest music being made, to be sure, but not a lot of people are hearing it, and many of the big-name artists that are doing protest music are the same ones who were doing it in the 60s, like Neil Young.

I think that we still haven't found our way as far as real protest is concerned - we are mostly falling back on what we did in the 60s - marches, sit-ins and other forms of civil disobedience. But I have a feeling that the public response to it is not what it was 40 years ago. It is still looked upon as something from the past, an outmoded and dated echo of the 'hippie days'. Something else needs to happen to engage the public, and I don't know what it is yet.

Be that as it may, I'm still hoping for a stronger presence for protest music. When I have time for a break from regular writing, I want to do some more protest music myself. Someone who has been doing wonderful protest songs for a few years now is my best girlfriend Paula Sorcé. She is someone who started doing this in the 60s and has never looked back, and she's my hero. The core of her band Just-Truckin' originated in the 60s and has re-formed again, and they are a classic Bay Area horn band a la Cold Blood. She has always written about what's important to her in a way that draws you in, with her strong, fierce, soulful vocals, burning horns and driving rhythm section.

I invite you to check out her latest, 'Trust You'. The video along with it is very cool also.

Her band's website is here if you'd like to hear more of Paula. My girl rocks!