The Thunderbolt 230105 - The Legend Returns!

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Dana Walker

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Jan 5, 2023, 4:44:17 AM1/5/23

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The Thunderbolt

News — Commentary — Calendar of Activist Events — Dumb Jokes

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1) POWER News

2) Glen Anderson’s Posts

3) Glen Anderson’s Calendar

4) Bonus Tip of the Day\

A detailed description of all events is located after the News and Commentary section

To go directly to an event description just type the index entry above into a search box

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The Legend Returns!

230105

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Happy News Year: The Legend Returns!

Hey, People!

Yes it’s a new year, which means new opportunities, new outlooks, new perspectives — and for the first time in a long time it also brings a new Thunderbolt!

Yes, it has been a while.

However, the legend has now returned! It is time once again to barricade the windows, engage the parental controls, and brace yourself for high voltage Thunderbolts striking your inbox on a regular basis! Prepare yourselves, denizens of Cascadia! Once again we take up arms to challenge the perfidious evildoers that are destroying our world by making fun of them and barraging them with fart jokes!

Take all proper precautions…

The State of the Union

As for the state of our union I am sad to report that during my absence it has continued it’s inexorable slide downward.

That is to be expected when you base your entire economy upon exploitation, death, and destruction.

Our country is utterly and completely dominated by the for-profit war industry, and it is run for the benefit of the for-profit war industry. Thus we have over half of our discretionary budget going to the War Machine. Thus we spend nearly as much on our military as the entire rest of the world combined. Thus we launch into yet another endless interventionist war on the other side of the planet so Raytheon can continue looting our national treasury. Thus we have $100-kajillion dollar weapons systems that don’t work – but don’t worry because these weapons systems were meant to protect us from threats that don’t actually exist. This War Machine completely dominates both of our political parties. The Republicans claim that the Democrats pose an existential threat to the future of humanity, the Democrats say the same thing about the Republicans, and the thing about that is that this is one of the very few instances wherein both sides are actually telling the truth.

I have noted many times in the past that even in cases where principled people enter politics for all the right reasons and even if they actually win their election they invariably either cave in and sell themselves to the War Machine or they are completely marginalized and you never hear from them again. Note that the Squad and Bernie Sanders all voted both for that obscene war budget and for funding Boeing’s proxy war in Ukraine.

(Remember: When they say they are sending $40 billion to Ukraine, they are actually sending $40 billion to American war profiteers…)

Profound hypocrisy is not limited to the progressives, of course. Even as the US government completely destroys Julian Assange’s life as punishment for being – by several orders of magnitude –the most effective journalist of the 21^st century thus far, US State Department spokesman and CIA veteran Ned Price recently tweeted disapprovingly about the Kyrgyz Republic's decision to deport investigative journalist Bolot Temirov to Russia, stating concerns that the Russian citizen could face conscription to fight in Ukraine. And then we have the notorious war profiteer who is also our Secretary of State Anthony Binken, who said quote “No member of the press should be threatened, harassed, attacked, arrested, or killed for doing their job. https://t.co/qXYyVoVlbM

Nonetheless, every time someone like Pramila Jayapal or Alexandria Ocasio Cortez wins an election, hope swells in my heart that possibly this time maybe this one will finally break that mold and start using their platform to expose the War Machine rather than bending over for it.

Recently, some of these so called ‘progressives’ considered suggesting to Uncle Joe that he might want to possibly maybe consider entering into some diplomatic discussions to end the war in Ukraine and they drafted a letter to that effect that they were considering maybe sending sometime.

Keep in mind, they were not criticizing current American policy in Ukraine nor were they advocating cutting off funding – and keep in mind that they never actually sent the letter; they had merely considered it.

Yet when a draft of their unsent letter was leaked to the public, in a display that almost literally made me ill, Pramila Jayapal, leader of the House Progressive Caucus, immediately and unconditionally caved and debunked their own letter. She conceded that suggesting diplomatic negotiations to end a war was just over-the-top and she apologized just before falling to her knees and kissing Boeing's ring…

Project Censored’s Top 25 List for 2022

If you go to the Thunderbolt website, one of the first things you will see is my tagline; “All the News That’s Fit to Suppress”. I specialize in news stories that the corporate media tries to suppress or cover up. That is because you can usually tell much more about what is really going on by what they are not telling you than by what they do tell you.

We are not so much being censored as simply being left in the dark.

Well, there is an organization called Project Censored that does the very same thing I do, only they do it much better. (They have a full-on organization with paid staff, after all…) In addition, they have been doing this since 1976.

However: They lack my charm and wit.

Project Censored is in fact my central source for such stories.

Project Censored has just come out with their top 25 list of the most censored, under-covered, or covered up stories for 2022 -- and since you have been deprived of the Thunderbolt for most of the last year I will perform the public service of providing you with a link to Project Censored’s list.

https://www.projectcensored.org/

Abnormally Normal

What with mass shootings having become a quick path to instant celebrity and what what with rapidly expanding crime rates, it may seem to some that our society is infested with an inordinately large number of maladjusted people engaged in highly antisocial behaviors.

What is actually happening, though, is that all these people are reacting in completely predictable and even ‘normal’ manners to a society that has gone completely insane. We have created a dog-eat-dog-most-vile-person-take-all economic system that completely disenfranchises the very people that make that system work in the first place. We have created a society that lavishly rewards incredibly nasty behavior whilst severely punishing honest and honorable behavior. We have created a society where whistleblowers are punished while the criminals they expose are promoted. We have created a society that runs large numbers of our youth through a meat grinder and then blames them when they come out of that grinder all ground up.

This is to be expected when you base your entire economy upon exploitation, death, and destruction.

John Stewart Embarrassed When His Balls Fall Off in Public

So John Stewart recently interviewed two of the most heinous war criminals in recent history; Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice -- and Stewart’s performance there almost literally made me sick to my stomach. John Stewart bent over like some obsequious lackey and did not even ask a single hard question much less call out these vile women out for what he damn well knows that they truly are. Both Clinton and Rice spewed out imperialist talking points to justify the unjustifiable and Mr. Stewart just shook his head and agreed. At one point Mr. Stewart even said, quote: “We aren’t going to re-litigate Libya here,” and I couldn’t help but cry out, “Why the hell not?” (Probably part of some pre-nuptial agreement they negotiated before agreeing to do the interview…)

Yes, Qaddafi was a vile dictator who did not allow political dissent and did really bad things to anyone who did it. On the other hand, as long as they avoided politics, the average Libyan citizen enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa. They enjoyed cradle-to-grave health care and top notch educational opportunities.

By the time the Americans were done with it, Libya was a burned out hell-hole being fought over by various factions of warlords and with open slave markets operating on the streets of Tripoli.

Hillary Clinton cackled like some demented psychopath upon learning that Qaddafi had been raped to death with a bayonet. Look it up on You Tube.

These people are truly twisted in a manner that defies description – yet they run the world.

This is to be expected when you base your entire economy upon exploitation, death, and destruction.

The “Next Generation”?

I think most people wonder where humanity is eventually going to end up, especially knowing that even if we survive this current crisis it is estimated that the Sun is going to blow up in around 2 or 3 billion years.

Back in the day, science fiction often portrayed hopeful futures for humanity. Do you remember 2001 A Space Odyssey? Or Contact? Or Star Trek? Or even ET?

These days, though, pretty much every science fiction movie coming out portrays some highly dystopian future, and in fact I have started finding the sameness of all these plotlines to be highly annoying.

One problem with humans is that we are very fragile physically. We require food and water, we require air to breathe, we can only operate within a highly limited temperature range, and we die after at most 100+ years. In this entire universe in fact, the only place where we know for a fact that we can survive is on this specific planet inside a very thin little strip of air extending from the ground to roughly 3 miles over our heads. We are not only completely dependent upon this planet for our survival, but as far as we know, unless we were wearing protective gear then were we to find ourselves anywhere else in the entire universe we would almost instantly die a horrible death.

Machines do not have any of those limitations. They do not need food or water. They do not require air. They can be designed to operate at hundreds of degrees either above or below zero. They can operate in the vacuum of space and they can travel through space for billions of years if necessary. A machine could survive just fine on the Moon or on the surface of Mars or on most of the other rocky planets in our Solar System or on most of the moons that surround most of the other planets in our Solar System. Machines can be programmed to repair themselves and thus can theoretically keep operating forever as long as they can find the raw materials needed for such repairs.

And with recent advances in both quantum computing and artificial intelligence, machines will soon be able to learn and to figure things out on their own. They are, in fact, already doing that. We are closer than most people realize to a self-aware machine that can learn things on its own. For instance: Everyone knows that a computer beat the chess master Garry Kasparov back in 1996. However, in that case the computer had had a lot of the worlds leading chess experts programming it.

Now, all they need to do to create an unbeatable computerized chess master is to teach the computer the rules of chess; the computer itself then fleshes out what it needs to know.

Again: They have already done this.

As usual, this can be either really good, or it can be really bad.

For an example of the latter: We are seeing the steady normalization of increasingly militarized robots. These robots will eventually become capable of suppressing domestic uprisings and the elites will no longer have to worry about their killer robots refusing to fire upon us or switching sides and joining our revolution. This is the trajectory that we will be riding for as long as capitalism remains in place and the elites that control it retains control of our automation. We are headed for a dystopian and highly unequal tech nightmare where the people are controlled by intelligent thinking weaponized robots.

They will be able not to merely suppress dissent, they will be able to completely eliminate the very ability to dissent.

So: Where do we go next?

That is either up to us, or we can leave it up to them.

We can have peace – but only if we really want it.

Patronage Plea

On a personal note now: Since I constantly have listeners coming and going I would like to explain my recent absence.

In October of 2001, I purchased an old school bus from an auction and then spent nearly a year converting it into a home. As you can probably imagine, that was a major project-- especially since I have never done anything even remotely resembling that before. Thus, the bus project took nearly all my time and energy and I simply did not have enough left over to publish newsletters much less come up with a couple of radio shows every month. Then, soon after moving into my new home I moved my entire operation to Ashland Oregon. Since I could not afford to do the entire trip all at once, I drove to Eugene, spent most of the month of October there, and then moved on to Ashland right after the 1^st of November.

However, I am now firmly ensconced within the confines of Ashland, I more or less have a routine established now, and thus I once again have the time and the energy to start Thunderbolting!

Anyway, I also mention all of this because several of my Patreon patrons have fallen off during my absence. That is perfectly understandable since I haven’t been doing the work to earn such patronage, but now that I am back at work, and now that I’m discovering that living in Ashland is going to be even more expensive than living in Olympia was, then I am once again appealing for patrons on Patreon! If you feel I am doing a worthwhile thing here, you can donate either $5 per month, $10 per month, or $20 per month to help keep this train rolling and you can withdraw your patronage anytime you wish to do so.

I think I am worth it -- but I may be biased on this subject…

Anyway -- it is time to get to work…

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The Cascadia Action Alert

Week of April 27^th thru April 2^nd, 2022

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1) POWER News

This message came from POWER:

December 28, 2022

Dear POWER Supporters,

Thanks to your support POWER continues to be a place where low income
people organize and build community. Led by low income people, we do
the important work of supporting poor families and centering the voices
of marginalized people.

This year we worked in solidarity with local and national organizations,
joining thousands of people from grassroots organizations all over the
country to call attention to a wide range of issues disproportionately
affecting poor and low-wage earners in the U.S.A. We sent POWER members
Mary and Levi Vent and Cat Sullivan to the National Poor People's
Campaign Moral March and Assembly in Washington DC, with sponsorship
from the Poor People's Campaign and Cat’s church.

As we have done for the last several years, POWER continued to host a
Helsing Junction CSA drop site with an EBT card reader so that
low-income families can use SNAP benefits (food stamps) to purchase
farm-fresh, organic, local produce throughout the growing season. We
continue to offer welfare rights advocacy, in person and via our
hotline, email and social media. We do regular outreach at welfare
offices and food banks and have restarted supplying free pads and
tampons at the welfare office bathroom through our Bleed for Free
program, as they are the only state office restrooms we have found that
don't offer those supplies, even for a fee.

While we are still taking covid precautions and have strict occupancy
guidelines in our meeting room, Alchemilla office, and gallery, this
year we have begun to open up our space more and are back to hosting
limited capacity in-person events. We’re happy to be hosting in-person
as well as zoom events, including both Olympia Arts Walks, 2 Voter
Roundtables (for primary and state elections), and a Sock Monkey making
workshop. Also Alchemilla members Rodney Lawson and Mary Vent, along
with the work of Kevette Palmas and Sock Monkeys for Social Justice
Project, sold art with support from Alchemilla volunteers and funding
from Alchemilla, at the ASSHO Cultural Community Center’s December
Cultural Bazaar.

Alchemilla Member Kevette Palmas said about her experience this year at
POWER:

"POWER gave me the opportunity to not only see value within myself as a
creator but also helped me recognize how I can contribute to my
community. I will always be greatful for my experience and look forward
to what lies ahead."
-Kevette Palmas

Our meeting room is being well-used again. The I.W.W. is back, and
through the month of December we are partnering with the Ho Ho Hobo’s, a
local group made up and led by homeless people, who are using our
meeting room to make ornamental wreaths to sell. For more information
about the Ho Ho Hobos or to purchase a wreath, go to:https://hohohobos.com/

In line with our history and mission to support low income caregivers,
our childcare room has been well used this year. We provided childcare
to low income entrepreneur caregivers so they could work on their
businesses and improve their incomes, and offered childcare for our
workshops, Alchemilla markets and our staff. It is important to us that
low income caregivers, who are far too often isolated and unsupported,
are able to participate in community organizing, entrepreneurship, and
skill building activities.

In the new year we’re hosting an internship, our first intern since
COVID. Laura Downing is a long-time POWER volunteer, Board member, and
TESC student. We are excited about her plans to hold zine-making
workshops that give voice to poor people’s relationship to food and
other resources while living in poverty, and Sock Monkey making
workshops that focus on storytelling.

We hope that you are enjoying end of the year celebrations with loved
ones and that the new year brings you many joys. We also hope you will
be able to support POWER this year with a donation, any size helps, or
your time as a volunteer. Please join us for events in the new year such
as Arts Walks, Skill Building Workshops and Voter Roundtables. Follow us
on Instagram and Facebook for updates. As always we offer childcare
support so that caregivers can participate. POWER’s EIN # 39-2070376 for
those that are able to donate. We can take checks at our address below
or via our paypal link on our website. www.mamapower.org

Thank you!

Sincerely, POWER’s Board of Directors and Staff,

Monica Peabody, Mischa Gilraen, Cat Sullivan, Laura Downing, Shelly
Robbins and Mary Vent

---
POWER
Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights
309 5th Avenue SE, Olympia WA 98506
360-352-9716
http://m.mamapower.org/
Like us on Facebook.

POWER is an organization of low-income parents and allies advocating for
a strong social safety net while working toward a world where children
and care giving are truly valued, and the devastation of poverty has
been eradicated.

_________________________________________________

2) Glen Anderson’s Posts

Glen is still doing his thing. Here is his latest:

I keep posting information about a wide variety of issues to my blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org

Currently, THE ITEMS LISTED BELOW are the 10 most recent:

· Wise insights in these bumper sticker messages

· Powerful forces are bullying us. Let’s reject despair and empower strategically smart grassroots movements!

· Extreme incompetence and dangers at nuclear weapons plant

· Martin Luther King strongly opposed nuclear weapons — and publicly since 1957

· CALENDAR of COMING EVENTS — January 2023

· Three Steps to Nuclear Disarmament

· Nuclear Weapons Information Sources

· Change to a Truly Peaceful Foreign Policy — Glen’s December TV program

· PEACE Organizations and websites

· Nuclear Weapons and the Peace Movement

The lower right corner of my blog’s home page lists many issue categories, so you may choose to see posts on each of those issues. Visit www.parallaxperspectives.org so you can click any of the ones you want to read. Click a category to see several pages of posts under that category. (Many posts pertain to several categories.)

The green banner at the top of the home page:

· Allows you see ALL blog posts in chronological order

· Invites you to subscribe to future blog posts

The first casualty of war is truth.

Most of the rest are innocent civilians.

Glen Anderson (360) 491-9093 glenan...@integra.net

See my blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org, for information and insights in dozens of issue categories, including “Peace” and “Nonviolence.”

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3) Glen Anderson’s Calendar

This message came from Glen:

EVERY MONTH:

Climate: Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT) has active committees that meet monthly: See their calendar at this link: https://thurstonclimateaction.org/calendar/

Climate: Carbon Free Thurston (Thurston County WA) meets every third Wednesday of the month, alternating between 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm. For more information and Zoom link please email in...@thurstonclimateaction.org

Climate: Climate Lobby’s Olympia group invites you to their mCOMING EVENTS + ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES
on MANY ISSUES

· See below for events occurring EVERY MONTH, and EVERY WEEK, and EVERY DAY.

· Events occurring on SPECIFIC DATES are LISTED AFTER the monthly, weekly, daily ones.

· Occasionally I’ll post new lists to my blog’s “COMING EVENTS” category in the right column.
In the future I might also start posting a few calendar items to the horizontal bar near the top of my blog’s home page, www.parallaxperspectives.org.

· Also, I keep posting new information and resources at the various issue categories of my blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org

onthly meeting on the second Saturday from 9:30 am to 12 noon. Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to relieve the climate crisis, especially by putting a price on carbon-based fuels. http://citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-resolution Info: www.citizensclimatelobby.org

Health care reform: Interesting speakers on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm: A savvy statewide organization working for Universal Single-Payer (“Medicare for All” without insurance companies) hosts speakers every month on Zoom. (See WED JAN 11 below about Norway’s health care system.) Contact Health Care for All-WA at http://www.healthcareforallwa.org/

Immigrants’ rights: The Olympia area’s Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance meets on the first Monday of each month from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Zoom. (When that Monday is a holiday, the meeting is moved one week later to the second Monday.) New members and ideas welcome. Contact: olympia....@gmail.com or email direct to zeigl...@msn.com or call (360) 570-0848

Nuclear weapons: Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons meets on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00 sharp to 7:00 pm by Zoom video. Info: Glen Anderson (360) 491-9093 glenan...@integra.net

Nuclear weapons: Washington Against Nuclear Weapons – Our statewide coalition meets on the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm by Zoom video. (The Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons is an active member.) Info: www.wanwcoalition.org or (206) 547-2360

Ranked-Choice Voting – Meeting of Thurston County’s chapter of statewide organization FairVote: 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. online. Info: Thurston County Chapter Meeting

Veterans for Peace Chapter 109 (the Rachel Corrie Chapter) meets on the first Sunday of each month from 12 noon to 2 pm. Info about the meetings – or about joining the local mailing list: Mark Fleming vfp...@protonmail.com or (360) 357-1060. Their website is www.vfp109.com

EVERY WEEK:

Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (and anytime online): “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” – Each month a new TV interview program focuses on an issue related to peace, social justice, environment, economics, or other progressive issue. It airs three times a week on Thurston Community Media (cable channel 22 in Thurston County WA): Mondays at 1:30 pm, Wednesdays at 5:00 pm, and Thursdays at 9:00 pm. Also, people anywhere can watch at any time through Glen’s blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org.
Each program is posted to the blog’s “TV Programs” category and also to categories related to the topic (e.g., “Peace” or “Economics”). Each blog post includes a link to the video and a link to a thorough summary Glen typed up, so you can read what we said during the interview. The thorough summary also includes links to many sources of information. Info: Glen Anderson 491-9093 glenan...@integra.net

Watch Glen’s JANUARY 2023 TV program through his blog or on TV:

"Three Steps to Nuclear Disarmament” The January 2023 program on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series provides fresh information and insights toward abolishing nuclear weapons. Besides facts, we provide a positive “can-do” attitude with practical strategies. We explain things clearly enough so people who do not already know much about nuclear weapons will easily understand and become enthusiastic about abolishing them.

One truly expert guest – Tom Rogers – helps us explore this topic. Tom Rogers retired from the U.S. Navy in 1998 after a 32-year career as a submarine officer. He commanded a nuclear attack submarine during the Cold War. When the Cold War ended in 1991, he recognized the opportunity – and the need – to abolish nuclear weapons. Since 2004, he has been an active member of an organization working to abolish nuclear weapons. The Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action is located immediately next to the Trident nuclear submarine base in Kitsap County, Washington. Tom and other Ground Zero peace activists have always worked to create mutually respectful human relations with Navy personnel. Our interview lays out an easy-to-understand three-step plan toward nuclear disarmament. Our interview includes Tom’s visuals. We explain the plan clearly.

CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW VIDEO.

Besides watching the interview video, I hope you will also read the thorough summary document I wrote because it provides some additional information and links. CLICK THE NEXT LINK TO READ THE THOROUGH SUMMARY:

2023.01. Three Steps To Nuclear Disarmament 2023.01 Three Steps to Nuclear Disarmament — SUMMARY and MORE INFORMATION

Our guest, Tom Rogers also provided a .pdf version of the images we showed on the screen and some more information to explain them. See that here: From Opposition to Abolition Presentation Handout

Questions? Contact Glen Anderson (producer and host) at (360) 491-9093 or glenan...@integra.net

Watch Glen’s DECEMBER 2022 TV program through his blog:

“Change to a Truly Peaceful Foreign Policy” The December 2022 program on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series provides smart information and insights to empower you to push for a truly peaceful, just and sustainable world. The peace movement knows that the U.S.’s foreign policy is stupid and cruel in many ways. This interview with peace expert David Swanson fleshes out the problems — and ALSO PROMOTES SMART, COMPASSIONATE, EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS.

Glen Anderson introduced a very savvy guest – David Swanson – to join him in identifying problems and proposing solutions. David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. We identified the main characteristics of U.S. foreign policy over the past 80 years and some of the ways they have hurt other nations and the U.S. too. We explained how nuclear weapons and “American Exceptionalism” are parts of the problem. We identified some values and practical aspects of the foreign policy we want instead. We discussed how to actually ABOLISH WAR. Since the problems were created from the top-down, the solutions must come from the bottom-up through a strategically savvy nonviolent grassroots movement. Glen also proposed a profoundly more wise and effective model of “TRUE Security” to replace the violent, cruel “national security” status quo that has hurt the entire world so badly.

Glen typed up a very thorough summary of what we said during the interview — and included much additional information, including a list of some good organizations and websites working for peace.

When you click the video link, fast-forward through the first 30 seconds of black screen before the music and video begin:

CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW VIDEO.

Besides watching the interview video, I hope you will also read the thorough summary document I wrote because it provides a HUGE amount of ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, LINKS, etc. CLICK THE NEXT LINK TO READ THE THOROUGH SUMMARY:

2022.12 PEACEFUL FOREIGN POLICY — SUMMARY and MORE INFORMATION

Questions? Contact Glen Anderson (producer and host) at (360) 491-9093 or glenan...@integra.net

EVERY MONDAY at 12 noon: Action Cafe 2023 helps you work with others for progressive political issues: Olympia Indivisible’s Action Café is a weekly Monday Zoom noon-hour gathering where OI members meet, make new friends, and take actions together. Every Café comes with a side order of live music and a heapin’ helpin’ of good cheer! Cafe patrons receive an email on Sunday with a sneak-peek at what we'll do at the cafe the next day. On Monday morning, Chef Lisa will send you a pdf “Menu” which has links to the actions we'll take together at the Café. Register here to get the next Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qdO6vqT8tGdwVZGYv4IjrLQNrivpJ_eqC

Every Monday, Thursday and Saturday: Olympia’s Veterans for Peace Chapter 109 (the Rachel Corrie Chapter) airs its TV Program (“The Veterans Hour”) at 5:00 every Monday, 8:00 pm every Thursday, and 2:00 pm every Saturday on Thurston Community Media cable channel 22 in Thurston County WA. Info: Mark Fleming vfp...@protonmail.com or (360) 357-1060. The group’s website is www.vfp109.com

Wednesdays from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm: Peace Vigil in downtown Olympia WA in NW corner of Sylvester Park (at Legion & Capitol Way) has persisted every Wednesday since March 5, 1980, regardless of weather or holidays. Please come for all or part of the hour to witness in a friendly way for peace and nonviolence. We provide plenty of signs. Masks required. Space out 6+ feet apart. Info: glenan...@integra.net (360) 491-9093

Thursdays from 12:00 to 1:00 pm (Pacific Time): Kim Dobson’s “Parallel University” on KAOS 89.3 FM interviews knowledgeable, interesting experts on peace, social justice, the environment, progressive politics, and other alternative viewpoints. Info: Kim Dobson. 951-4382 parrallel...@yahoo.com Listen locally at 89.3 FM or anywhere at www.kaosradio.org

Fridays from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in downtown Olympia WA: Peace Vigil at Percival Landing’s south end and SW corner of 4^th& Water. Please join us for whatever length of time you can. We provide plenty of signs. The Artesian Rumble Arkestra street band joins us at 5:00 with lively music to support our vigil! The vigil has persisted every Friday regardless of weather or holidays since November 1998. Masks required. Space out 6+ feet apart. Info: 491-9093 Info: glenan...@integra.net (360) 491-9093 and www.oly-wa.us/artesianrumble

Fridays from 5:00 to 6:00 pm in Olympia WA: “Women in Black” Silent Vigil for Peace on the south side of W 4^th Ave near the fountain (across the street from Olympia Oyster House). Women only. Please wear black. They provide signs. Since 1988 “Women in Black” has been a loose network of women worldwide opposed to war and violence. Info: (360) 866-6468 or (360) 866-4768 or rosem...@comcast.net

EVERY DAY:

Here is an easy way to learn about important federal legislation and policies about nuclear weapons (including the powerful Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons): Glen Anderson compiled information and posted it to his blog: https://parallaxperspectives.org/nuclear-weapons-legislation-and-policies-need-our-actions-now

Democracy Now! broadcasts news from a progressive perspective on TV and radio and e-mail. See www.democracynow.org. For example, in Thurston County WA people can watch cable channel 22 every Monday through Friday from 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., and listen to KAOS 89.3 FM from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (and through www.kaosradio.org, adjusted for your time zone).

Here are sources of alternative and progressive media covering many issues.
Visit their websites and/or sign up to receive their frequent e-mails with multi-issue news:

Alternet: www.alternet.org

Common Dreams: www.commondreams.org

CounterPunch: www.counterpunch.org

Democracy Now! www.democracynow.org

Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR): www.fair.org

Mother Jones: www.motherjones.com

Nation of Change: www.nationofchange.org

Op Ed News: www.opednews.com

Parallax Perspectives (Glen Anderson’s multi-issue blog): www.parallaxperspectives.org

Popular Resistance: www.popularresistance.org

Progressive Populist: www.populist.com

Public Citizen: www.citizen.org

The Intercept: www.theintercept.com

The Nation: www.thenation.com

The Progressive Magazine: www.progressive.org

The Young Turks: www.tytnetwork.com and www.tyt.com

TomDispatch: www.tomdispatch.com

Truthout: www.truthout.org

Waging Nonviolence: www.wagingnonviolence.org

SPECIFIC DATES

Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT) has a calendar listing many climate-related and environmental activities throughout the month. See their calendar at this link: https://thurstonclimateaction.org/calendar/

See many events on a variety of peace-related issues and other issues at this list: https://worldbeyondwar.org/events/?link_id=15&can_id=1d662460c0abb8939c5044c82927552b&source=email-wbw-news-action-new-anti-war-pro-peace-resources-database&email_referrer=email_1341959&email_subject=wbw-news-action-nowarnowarming

SOON I’LL BE SCHEDULING six FREE online workshops that will help you strengthen your skills and strategies in organizing grassroots movements for the issues you care about. I’ll schedule a MULTI-ISSUE series and also a series FOCUSING ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS and also a series FOCUSING ON ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE. Yes, we really can MAKE PROGRESS ON THE ISSUES YOU CARE ABOUT! I invite you – and other people who care – to sign up for FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS to help you significantly increase your skills and strategies. Governments will not give us what we want as a gift from the top down. We must build savvy grassroots movements from the bottom up! These workshops are FREE and user-friendly. They are good for people of ALL ages and ALL levels of experience. People who have taken these workshops have found them informative, inspiring, and practical. I’ll post the dates and times to my blog, so you can contact me to sign up for whichever series of workshops you want. To sign up, simply e-mail me at glenan...@integra.net or call me at (360) 491-9093. Please provide your name, e-mail address and phone number. I’ll add you to the list. Each week I’ll e-mail you the Zoom link and some readings relevant for that week’s workshop.

THURS JAN 5: Prepare for Washington State’s 2023 Legislative Session: Many organizations working for social and economic justice, human rights, etc., will be active during Washington State’s 2023 legislative session, which will begin on Monday January 9. One great organization is Faith Action Network, www.fanwa.org. This interfaith organization does good work. They’re providing a Zoom session from 6 to 7 pm today – and a different one from 2 to 3 pm on SUN JAN 8. Today’s “Legislative Preview” provides an overview of what to expect this session and FAN’s legislative agenda. Register here to get the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkf-6sqD0uGNfac-a2xDsXGxNe3sn6971M Next Sunday’s “Advocacy 101” provides advocacy tools to use during the session. Register here to get Sunday’s Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtduCgqz8iHdRoGHDHhc3oTEfJLp64bfJG

FRI JAN 6: From 5 to 6 pm on Zoom, observe the second anniversary of Trump’s coup attempt by connecting with progressives, including Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Washington State Deputy Majority Leader Senator Manka Dhingra, and Indivisible members and allies across Washington State for an uplifting, action-focused event that not only remembers the 2021 insurrection but also activates people to shape federal Congressional and Washington Legislative actions and promote democracy and good issues. It’s sponsored by Indivisible, the progressive advocacy organization. See the nationwide organization at www.indivisible.org Register for today’s event here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpcuitqj0vGNOtP_KS6I_02kD1bPRiWPro

SUN JAN 8: “Advocacy 101” helps you take action during Washington State’s 2023 Legislative Session: See the THURS JAN 5 calendar item above. Today’s calendar item is related but different. This afternoon’s “Advocacy 101” provides advocacy tools to use during the session. Register here to get Sunday’s Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtduCgqz8iHdRoGHDHhc3oTEfJLp64bfJG

MON JAN 9: Immigrants’ rights: The Olympia area’s Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance meets from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Zoom. New members and ideas welcome. Contact: olympia....@gmail.com or email direct to zeigl...@msn.com or call (360) 570-0848

MON JAN 9: Reduce gun violence: Since 2016, our local Thurston Gun Sense has been meeting and taking smart actions. They meet on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 pm through Zoom. Info: Stacy Steck steck...@gmail.com

WED JAN 11: "Nonviolent National Defense -- A Practical Way to Be More Secure" -- Glen Anderson speaks on Zoom at 10:00 a.m. to a nationwide audience – making a serious case for replacing our military with Nonviolent National Defense: E-mail Glen at glenan...@integra.net and he will send you the Zoom link so you can watch and hear. We’ll have Q&A too. His May 2022 TV episode in his “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series had a full hour to provide powerful information and inspiration to significantly improve the U.S.’s “national security” by – ironically -- de-militarizing our “national defense.” Instead of military violence, we could defend our nation better through carefully planned strategies of nonviolent resistance. This actually would be very practical – and we could save hundreds of billions of dollars every year so we could solve our nation’s ral problems (health, poverty, environment, etc.). You can watch the TV program through Glen’s blog: CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH THE TV PROGRAM, which starts with music and a black screen for about 30 seconds before the visual image appears. The TV program is a shortened version of a much more thorough article he wrote, which includes links to many more sources of information. I strongly encourage people to read this article here: Nonviolent National Defense Would Be Better in Every Way

WED JAN 11: “Building our Power to Close Guantánamo: 21st Anniversary Virtual Rally” -- Join advocates, organizers, artists, and Guantánamo survivors at 1:00 pm Pacific Time on January 11, 2023, for a virtual rally to mark 21 years since the Guantánamo Bay prison was opened as part of the so-called global “War on Terror.” Thirty-five Muslim men remain after decades of detention and abuse. More than 700 men and boys have been released, but there has been no measure of justice or accountability. Most of the men still at Guantánamo have been cleared for release – and only a handful have been charged with a crime in the unjust military commissions system. They are aging, and they are hoping to be reunited with their families before they die. This anniversary calls on us to mobilize and build our power to collectively close and abolish Guantánamo. We will share actions you can take and other ways to get involved. We know a future without Guantánamo and all that it represents is possible. Join us in making it so. Today’s event is organized by the Center for Constitutional Rights (www.ccrjustice.org), which conducts bold activities (especially litigation) for racial justice and other kinds of social justice. Register here. For more information, visit their website, www.ccrjustice.org

WED JAN 11: Why do Norwegians LOVE their healthcare system? Ruth Knagenhjelm, who worked as a medical professional in Norway and used to serve on the board of Health Care for All-WA, will answer that question WED JAN 11 at 7:00 p.m. Three other Norwegian medical professionals will join her in discussing everything from financing to administration to application in a country with universal healthcare coverage. This is January’s interesting experience in the monthly series organized by HCFA-WA’s monthly series. Info: http://www.healthcareforallwa.org/ RSVP here!

THURS JAN 12: STATEWIDE meeting: Abolish nuclear weapons! Join today’s online meeting of Washington Against Nuclear Weapons: This statewide coalition meets from 6:00 pm on the second Thursday afternoon of each month. Participants are well informed and keep pushing ahead toward abolishing nuclear weapons. Info: www.wanwcoalition.org

THURS JAN 12: Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT) Volunteer Party will celebrate all the work we’ve done in 2022 and share with you where we’re headed in 2023! Enjoy community, food, and good company. This will be an opportunity to learn more about TCAT’s various activities and how you can help. Share your ideas and visions for where we are headed as an organization and a local movement for Climate Justice in Thurston County. We’re having a party to celebrate all the work we’ve done in 2022 and share with you where we’re headed in 2023! We will gather at Olympia Friends Meeting House, 3201 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia on January 12th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Please bring some food to share. See more information here: https://thurstonclimateaction.org/https:/thurstonclimateaction.org/events/tcat-volunteer-party/ TCAT’s website has information about its many committees, when they meet, and much more: www.thurstonclimateaction.org

FRI JAN 13: WA Youth Climate and Conservation Summit goes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Olympia’s Marathon Park (west side of Capitol Lake near the railroad tracks): Northwest salmon and orca conservation is intrinsically tied to a need for increased prioritization of renewable energy investments in the Columbia Basin. With youth and supporters from around the state, from Bellingham to Walla Walla, we intend to kick off the 2023 Washington legislative session with the message that climate investments in the Columbia Basin are a statewide priority, to prevent salmon and orca extinction via Snake River dam replacement, uphold Columbia Basin Indigenous sovereignty, and protect the right to an ecologically-sound future for all Washington youth. Today’s event will consist of a youth-led rally with speakers at Marathon Park, Olympia, followed by an impassioned march to the State Capitol Building, where closing speeches will be given and a high-visibility demonstration (TBD) will be held. Today includes speeches from 10:00 to 10:45, a march to the Capitol from 10:45 to 12 noon, and final speeches and photo opportunities from 12 noon to 1 pm. Several organizations are supporting this.

FRI JAN 13: Heartsparkle Players present “Stories of Everyday Kindness ~ A Playback Theatre Performance for Children of All Ages” at Traditions, 5^th & Water SW, Olympia. Today’s performance is in collaboration with Olympia School District’s Resource Center at Garfield Elementary School. That’s a welcoming place for families to receive community gifts of food, clothing and household items. Heartsparkle Players’ performance will accept donations of $10-$20, but nobody will be turned away for lack of donation. Info: Debe Edden (360) 402-4602

SUN JAN 15 from 12 noon to 1:30 pm: Annual silent meditative walk around Capitol Lake to honor Martin Luther King: Start the new year by being in community, in silence, while stepping towards and re-pledging allegiance towards both inner and outer peace. Meet at Marathon Park (west side of capitol Lake near the railroad tracks) at 11:45 a.m. for some introductory comments before the walk starts at 12:00 noon. Once again, Koro Kaisan Miles of Open Gate Zendo (walk founder/leader) will be there to lead us. Over the years, we have found this to be a very inspiring event. All are welcome. Please tell or bring your friends.

MON JAN 16: On Martin Luther King’s holiday, do something meaningful. Take actions for racial and economic justice, nonviolence, peace, or other issues for which King worked. Read a relevant book or relevant articles. See information at this part of Glen’s blog: https://parallaxperspectives.org/category/king-martin-luther

MON JAN 16: Statewide Poverty Action's MLK Lobby Day starts at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/AhAbAym9302yQcFt7xI_uQ2?emci=1dd68af7-766b-ed11-ade6-14cb65342cd2&emdi=6e9382e9-4e6f-ed11-819c-00224825858d&ceid=5511940

WED JAN 18: Webinar on U.S.'s SECRET WARS in Mid-East, Africa and Asia: From 12 noon to 1 pm (Pacific Time), you can learn about the “wars against terrorism” that the U.S. is conducting secretly in many countries. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. has secretly engaged in armed conflict across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia under the guise of combating terrorism. Little-known laws have enabled hostilities in the name of “security cooperation” – authorizing the Pentagon to create and use paramilitaries without notifying key decision-makers in Congress and permitting presidents to counter not just terrorist groups but also states, such as China, Iran, and Russia. Through these laws, a handful of government officials, working with minimal oversight and no notice to the public, could stumble the United States into a major conflict. Expert panelists will take on the question of how Congress should address this danger. To participate in this Zoom webinar, RSVP today.

THURS JAN 19: Learn about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) when Kim Dobson interviews Glen Anderson on Kim’s radio program at 12 noon on KAOS, 89.3 FM: Glen will clearly explain the TPNW’s origins stemming from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which went into effect in 1970 – and which the nations that have nuclear weapons have been VIOLATING FOR HALF A CENTURY. Non-nuclear nations – especially those in the Global South – are sick and tired of being held hostage by nine nations with nuclear weapons, so they created the TPNW and a worldwide movement to ABOLISH ALL nuclear weapons. Info: glenan...@integra.net or (360) 491-9093

THURS JAN 19: OLYMPIA area meeting: Abolish nuclear weapons! Join today’s online meeting of the Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons: The Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (OCANW) meets on the third Thursday of each month. You may join as early as 4:45 pm to make sure your video, audio, etc., are working OK so we can start promptly at 5:00. I hope you will join us! Our monthly meetings are informative, productive and enjoyable. To join this Zoom meeting, e-mail me so I can send you the Zoom link. If you can’t use video and must call in by telephone, call (253) 215 8782 through Tacoma WA. Info: glenan...@integra.net or (360) 491-9093

SAT JAN 21: Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War – This online conference will occur from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Pacific Time). The 2023 “Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War” Conference will have the subtheme of “The Social and Economic Costs of the Nuclear Weapons Buildup.” Given the tragic events in Ukraine, tensions with China over Taiwan, and provocations from North Korea, we need to continue every effort toward peaceful resolutions and nuclear disarmament. The 2023 Conference is one such effort. It is sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action (www.passpeaceaction.org), which is a very savvy and active organization. Info: https://masspeaceaction.org/event/reducing-the-threat-of-nuclear-war-conference/?emci=571e31bf-eb70-ed11-819c-000d3a9eb474&emdi=4c7d5954-e473-ed11-819c-000d3a9eb474&ceid=310223

SAT JAN 21 or SAT JAN 28 (The decision will be made soon): “What’s Happening with Nuclear Weapons” – Four members of the Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Mark Fleming, Joanne Dufour, Jim Manista and Glen Anderson) will each present brief information in a Zoom meeting with plenty of Q&A. Look for the exact date and time (possibly 2:00 pm) and other publicity when this event is confirmed. Info: glenan...@integra.net (360) 491-9093 or Joanne Dufour jdufo...@gmail.com (206) 550-1841

SUN JAN 22: Join our street-corner vigil to celebrate the 2^nd Anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons going into effect: The Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (OCANW) is one of many organizations worldwide celebrating the 2^nd anniversary of when the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons went into effect on Jan. 22, 2021. We’ll gather at the intersection of West Harrison & Division in Olympia’s west side from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. We’ll provide signs, or you may bring your own. We invite people to bring bells to ring. The global organization that promoted the Treaty is the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, www.icanw.org. They won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. See information about the treaty at ICAN’s website and at the “Nuclear Weapons” part of Glen Anderson’s blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org For information about today’s activities – and other activities about the TPNW’s second anniversary, contact Glen at glenan...@integra.net (360) 491-9093

THURS FEB 9: Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia runs from 9 am to 3 pm: Soon I will post more information, including how to register for this great annual event.

THURS FEB 16: WAISN Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day in Olympia runs from 9 am to 5 pm. Please participate, take action, and demand support from our legislators for this year’s immigrant justice campaigns: Health Equity for Immigrants and Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers. REGISTER HERE: WAISN's Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day

🡪 Look for another calendar several weeks from now for future dates.

_________________________________________________

4) Bonus Tip of the Day:

Don’t accept the status quo.

Peace.

Dana

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