Things are heating up in Scotland...

Things are heating up in Scotland! Live 8 got things rolling and that's what the people are doing, rolling into town to be heard. Bob Geldof kept the pressure on this weekend in the media, and loads of African activists have been showing up to get their point across. What will the G8 leaders do? Will they notice? Do they even care? In other news, I heard Bush basically say he doesn't owe Tony Blair a damn thing. "I don't view this as a 'quid pro quo' relationship", Bush said. Say what? Man, that's cold! Blair has been his boy, his runnin' partner for this whole war on terrorism & Iraq thing since day one. When nobody wanted to hear about it Blair was beating people's eardrums and twisting political arms to get them on board. He told his own people to 'piss off, we're going', when it came time to go to war. Even though there were nearly a million people on the streets of London screaming 'No!' Blair has caught all kinds of hell in his own Parliament, as he stood up for Bush, and supported him, and this is how Bush repays him. I can only hope that Blair wakes up and realizes which side his Texas toast is buttered on. Otherwise he's one of the biggest suckers around.

Ted Kooser, America's Poet Laureate presents:

American Life in Poetry: Column 014

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE

Often everyday experiences provide poets with inspiration. Here Georgiana Cohen observes a woman looking out her window and compares the woman to the sunset. The woman's "slumped" chin, the fence that separates them, and the "beached" cars set the poem's tone; this is clearly not a celebration of the neighborhood. Yet by turning to clouds, sky, and breath, Cohen underscores the scene's fragile grace.


Old Woman in a Housecoat

An old woman in
a floor-length housecoat
has become sunset
to me, west-facing.
Turquoise, sage, or rose,
she leans out of her
second floor window,
chin slumped in her palm,
and gazes at the
fenced property line
between us, the cars
beached in the driveway,
the creeping slide of
light across shingles.
When the window shuts,
dusk becomes blush and
bruises, projected
on vinyl siding.
Housecoats breathe across
the sky like frail clouds.

Reprinted from "Cream City Review," 2004, by permission of the author, a writer and journalist living in Boston. Poem copyright © 2004 by Georgiana Cohen. This weekly column is supported by The Poetry Foundation, The Library of Congress, and the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry. This column is reprinted with permission.

Happy 4th of July everyone! Happy Independence Day! - gt

On to Edinburgh!

So people are making their way to Edinburgh for the big G8 meeting. Bush made a speech this past friday talking about Africa, it's children, and the support they need. This is a good thing. I hope it's not just talk, and I'm even willing to suspend my usual cynicism when it comes to the idea of ending poverty. I think it's a grand idea, and why not? Why can't it be done? I'm especially thrilled that Art and Culture are the main vehicles for promoting positive, rational change, and creating an environment for constructive dialogue. I'm watching the G8 with renewed interest. Let's see what happens next!

Go Live 8! Death to poverty and starvation!

Just a quick post to say I've been checking out the concert clips from Live 8. I'm trying to find a live feed but so far I've only found AOL and the BBC, and they're running clips. AOL says it's live but they're showing Berlin and London, and it's still light out while it's still light out here in Cali. They're still tres cool though! I just finished checking out Green Day in Berlin, and they rocked the house closing with the classic Queen hit, "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS". I admit I've never been a real fan, or even paid that much attention to them ever since I first saw them in Dallas at Lollapalooza. But they did a great set, and I'm glad I caught it. I also saw part of Elton John's set, and he tore it up! Rocked it in true Elton John fashion! Add some Lucky Dube in from Johannesburg, and some Orchestra Baobob, Lindiwe and REM too, and you've got a heady brew for a saturday afternoon! Go Live 8! Death to poverty and starvation! G8 Leaders, you better be listening! It's time to step up to the plate and make history! Right now!

Should we end poverty? HELL YEAH!

LIVE 8

There are concerts all over the world this weekend and next week. All to end poverty by telling the G8 leaders in no uncertain terms to do so. A plan will be presented that addresses the issues facing all our nations today. It includes, debt relief, and Aid to the impoverished areas of the world, among other things. There are great looking, easy-to-use websites (www.one.org and www.live8live.com) that have all the info you want or need to understand what's happening. You can sign the pledge to end poverty, and send the leader of your G8 nation a message of your choice! There's a million citizen march that you can sign up for, and you'll be in great company with some of the high profile people who have signed. Now you can say you work with Bono, and Bob Geldof! This humble blogger as well. Click the link to the right to find out all out it now, then pass it on to your friends. Remember, the first step to change is to have the will, and that's where we come in. To show the will to do the right thing, and make sure the leaders of the 8 nations at the G8 summit receive that will, and do the right thing. Check it out. Let's end poverty. NOW! Sign the LIVE 8 List, go to the free concerts, join the march. Make yourself heard. She needs it, and so do we!